Star Wars Episode III: The Prisoner of Kessel
by Jacen Caedus
Summary: Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) deals with the escape of a Force user who knew his parents (Ewan McGregor). Sequel to "Star Wars Episode II: The Temple of Korriban" and "Star Wars Episode I: The Philosopher's Stone"
1. Dramatis Personae

**Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or J.K. ****Rowling.**

Here are the characters in this story:

**Harry Potter - Luke Skywalker (age 13), third year**

**Ron Weasley - Han Solo (age 13), third year**

**Hermione Granger - Leia Organa (age 14), third year**

**Ginny Weasley - Mara (Jade) Solo (age 12), second year**

**Fred Weasley - Jacen Solo (age 15), fifth year**

**George Weasley - Ben (Skywalker) Solo (age 15), fifth year**

**Percy Weasley - (See) Threepio Solo (age 17), seventh year**

**Molly Prewett Weasley - Jaina Solo (age 47), mother to Han Solo**

******Arthur Weasley - Jonash Solo (age 47), Head of the Misuse of Mundane Artifacts Office**

******Errol - Fiver (age 81), astromech owl**

******Sir Cadogan - Gantoris (deceased), knight**

**Draco Malfoy - Galen Marek (age 13), third year**

******Lucius Malfoy - Dooku Marek (age 41), aristocrat (mention only)**

**Vincent Crabbe - Cornelius Evazon (age 13), third year**

**Gregory Goyle - Ponda Baba (age 13), third year**

**Albus Dumbledore - Yoda (age 112), Grand Master**

**Minerva McGonagall - Mon Mothma (age 72), Master of Jedi Sorcery**

**Filius Flitwick - Sio Bibble (age 72), Master of the Force**

**Severus Snape - Darth Vader (age 33), Master of Potions**

**Remus "Moony" Lupin - Qui-Gon "Sivrak" Jinn (age 33), Master of Defense Against the Dark Side of the Force**

**Lord Voldemort/Tom Riddle - Lord Sidious/Cosinga Palpatine (age 67), Dark Lord of the Sith (mention only)**

**Sirius "Padfoot" Black - Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi (age 34), fugitive**

**Rubeus Hagrid - Chewbacca (age 64), Master of Animal Friendship**

**Argus Filch - Jurokk (age 56), caretaker**

**Walden Macnair - Savage Opress (age 40), executioner**

**Colin Creevey - Dak Ralter (age 12), second year**

**Hedwig - Artoo Detoo (age 13), astromech owl**

**Oliver Wood - Tycho Celchu (age 17), seventh year**

**Angelina Johnson - Tenel Ka Djo (age 15), fifth year**

**Alicia Spinnet - Lowbacca (age 15), fifth year**

**Katie Bell - Tahiri Veila (age 14), fourth year**

**Cedric Diggory - Biggs Darklighter (age 16), fifth year**

**Cho Chang - Callista Ming (age 14), fourth year**

**Roger Davies - Geith Eris (age 15), fifth year**

**C. Warrington - Seth Harth (age 16), sixth year**

**Graham Montague - Sora Bulq (age 15), fifth year**

**Peregrine Derrick - Reck Desh (age 16), sixth year**

**Lucian Bole - Cad Bane (age 16), sixth year**

**Rolanda Hooch - Garven Dreis (age 59), coach**

**Vernon Dursley - Owen Lars (age 44), uncle to Luke Skywalker**

**Petunia Dursley - Beru Lars (age 44), aunt to Luke Skywalker**

**Marge Dursley - Dama (Brunk) Lars (age 46), sister to Owen Lars**

**Dudley Dursley - Jek Porkins Lars (age 13), cousin to Luke Skywalker**

**Marcus Flint - Moradmin Bast (age 18), seventh year**

**Penelope Clearwater - TC-14 (age 17), seventh year**

**Lee Jordan - Wes Janson (age 15), fifth year**

**Pansy Parkinson - Asajj Ventress (age 13), third year**

**Neville Longbottom - Wedge Antilles (age 13), third year**

**Seamus Finnagan - Nien Nunb (age 13), third year**

**Dean Thomas - Lando Calrissian (age 13), third year**

**Poppy Pomfrey - Vokara Che (age 47), nurse**

**Parvati Patil - Winter Retrac (age 13), third year**

**Godric Gryffindor - Revan (deceased), founder**

**Salazar Slytherin - Exar Kun (deceased), founder**

**Rowena Ravenclaw - Bastila Shan (deceased), founder**

**Helga Hufflepuff - Meetra Surik/Jedi Exile (deceased), founder**

**Cuthbert Binns - Vodo Siosk-Baas (deceased), Master of Galactic History**

**Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington - Canderous Ordo (deceased), spirit of House Revan**

**Bloody Baron - Jace Malcom (deceased), spirit of House Kun**

**Fat Friar - Mission Vau (deceased), spirit of House Surik**

**Helena Ravenclaw - Satele Shan (deceased), spirit of House Shan**

**Peeves - PROXY (amortal), holodroid**

**Rosmerta - Ackmena (age 43), bartender**

**Fang - Drang (age unknown), vornskr**

**Florean Fortescue - Vidar Kim (age 46), ice cream proprietor**

**Septima Vector - Sifo-Dyas (age 34), Master of Precognition**

**Giant Squid - Colo Claw Fish**

**Tom - Wuher (age 47), bartender**

**Cornelius Fudge - Finis Valorum (age 47), Supreme Chancellor**

**Peter "Wormtail" Pettigrew - Nute "Viceroy" Gunray (age 34), Sith servant**

**Crookshanks - Anji (age unknown), nexu**

**Hermes - M-TD (age 17), translator owl**

**Stan Shunpike - Kyp Durron (age 18), conductor of the _Lady Luck_**

**Ernie Prang - Qorl (age 75), pilot of the _Lady Luck_**

**Irma Pince - Jocasta Nu (age 82), archivist**

**Aurora Sinistra - Tionne Solusar (age 43), Master of Astronomy**

**Lavender Brown - Bria Tharen (age 13), third year**

**Buckbeak - Boga (age unknown), varactyl**

**Ernie McMillan - Corran Horn (age 13), third year**

**Hannah Abbot - Iella Wessiri (age 13), third year**

**Justin Finch-Fletchley - Ooryl Qrygg (age 13), third year**

**Susan Bones - Mirax Terrik (age 13), third year**

**Pomona Sprout - Yaddle (age 70), Master of the Living Force**

**Mafalda Goshawk - Mander Zuma (age 51), author (mention only)**

**Sybill Trelawney - Roan Shryne (age 32), Master of Divination**

**James "Prongs" Potter - Anakin "Tan" Skywalker (deceased), member of the Jedi Order**

**Lily Evans Potter - Padme Amidala Skywalker (deceased), member of the Jedi Order**

**Ripper - Sturm (age unknown), vornskr**

******Bathilda Bagshot - Voren Na'al (age 90), author**

******Wendelin the Weird - Moranda Savich (deceased), historical figure (mention only)**

******Fubster - Brunk (age 50), colonel (mention only)**

******Marsh - Vima-Da-Boda (age 200), passenger**

******Cassandra Vablatsky - Nomi Sunrider (deceased), author (mention only)**

******Silvanus Kettleburn - Djinn Altis (age 60), retired Master of Animal Friendship (mention only)**

******Bilius Weasley - Tiion Sal-Solo (deceased), sister to Jonash Solo (mention only)**

******Binky - Pavik (deceased), rabbit (mention only)**

******Ambrosius Flume - Dexter Jettster (age 66), proprietor of Dex's Donuts**

******Derek - Liam (age 11), first year**

******Pigwidgeon - Whistler (age unknown), astromech owl**

******The Grim - The Vua'sa (age unknown), omen of death (mention only)**

_**Locations**_**:**

**Hogwarts School - Jedi Temple**

**Azkaban - Kessel**

**Gringotts Bank - Muunilinst**

**Leaky Cauldron - Chalmun's Cantina**

**The Three Broomsticks - Dex's Diner**

**Diagon Alley - Mos Eisley**

**Hogsmeade - CoCo Town**

**Shrieking Shack - Valley of the Jedi**

**Florean Fortescue's - Vidar Kim's**

**Flourish and Blotts - Obroa-skai**

**Honeydukes - Dex's Donuts**

**Forbidden Forest - Endor Moon**

**Surrey - Tatooine**

**Number 4, Privet Drive - Lars Homestead**

**Platform 9 3/4 - Docking Bay 94**

**KIng's Cross Station - Mos Eisley Spaceport**

**Quidditch Pitch - Podrace Field**

**Madam Malkin's - Shmi Skywalker's**

**London - Coruscant**

**Hogsmeade Station - Docking Bay 327**

**Hogwarts Express - Jedi Cruiser**

**_Species_:**

**Human - Human**

**Goblin - Muun**

**Dementor - Tusken**

**Half-Giant - Wookiee**

**Boggart - Gurlanin**

**Muggle - Mundane Beings**

**Wizard - Force user**

**Hippogriff - Varactyl**

**Boarhound - Vornskr**

**Kneazle - Nexu**

**Grindylow - Dinko**

**Hinkypunk - Ysalamir**

**Red Cap - Chazrach**

**Owl - Droid**

**Ghost - Force spirit**

**Poltergeist - Holodroid**

_**Organization**_

**Gryffindor - Revan**

**Slytherin - Kun**

**Ravenclaw - Shan**

**Hufflepuff - Surik**

**Death Eater - Sith Order**

**Order of the Phoenix - Jedi Order**

**Ministry of Magic - Galactic Republic**

_**Other**_**:**

**Wizard's Chess - Dejarik**

**Quidditch - Smashball**

**Knight Bus - _Lady Luck_**

**Bludgers - Dovin Basals**

**Quaffle - Grav-ball**

**Golden Snitch - Golden Globe**

**Patronus Charm (_Expecto Patronum_) - Force Aura (_Tutaminis_)**

**Apparition - Force Travel**

**Disarming Charm - Force Disarm**

**Confundus Charm - Force Confusion**

**Wolfsbane Potion - Bacta**

**Ancient Runes - Rakatan**

**Accidental Magical Reversal Squad - Antarian Rangers**

**Hit Wizards - Gray Paladins**


	2. Han's Mistake

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke Skywalker and Owen Lars._

_Owen answers the comlink._

**Owen. **Owen Lars speaking.

**Han. **_[over comlink] _Hello?! Hello?! Can you hear me?! I want to talk to Luke Skywalker!

**Owen. **Who is this?! Who are you?!

**Han. **_[over comlink] _Han Solo! I'm a friend of Luke's from the Temple!

**Owen. **_[glares at Luke] _There is no Luke Skywalker here! I don't know what temple you're talking about! Never contact me again! Don't come near my family!

_Owen angrily disconnects the comlink._

_[to Luke] _How dare you give this code to people . . . people like you!

_Exit all._


	3. Droid Post

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, awake in bed at twenty-four hundred hours, doing homework._

_Working on his assignment, Luke reads from _The New Essential Chronology _by Voren Na'al._

**Voren. **Non-Force-sensitive people (more commonly known as mundane) were particularly afraid of the Force in medieval times, but not very good at recognizing it. On the rare occasion that they did capture a real Force adept, burning had no effect whatsoever. The Force adept would merely use tapas and would pretend to shriek with pain while enjoying a gentle, tickling sensation. Indeed, Moranda Savich enjoyed being burned so much that she allowed herself to be caught no less than forty-seven times in various disguises.

_Luke writes, while listening to make sure the Larses don't hear him._

_Tired, Luke stands and stretches._

_The chrono changes to one._

**Luke. **_[aside] _I've been thirteen years old, without realizing it, for a whole hour. It hardly matters, where the Larses are concerned. I've never received a naming day card before and have no reason to expect one this season.

_Luke glances at R2-D2's empty cage._

I do hope Artoo gets back soon. She's the only person in this homestead who does not flinch at the sight of me.

_Enter R2-D2, Fiver, and R4-P17, Artoo and Arfour helping an unconscious Fiver._

_Luke helps Fiver into R2-D2's cage and relieves him of his package._

**Fiver. **_[in Binary] _Thanks.

_Fiver takes a drink of water._

_Luke relieves the other droids of their burdens._

_Luke opens Fiver's parcel - a naming day card, a hololetter, and a HoloNet News clipping._

**Luke. **_[reading] __Galactic Republic Employee Scoops Grand Prize_: Jonash Solo, head of the Misuse of Mundane Artifacts Office at the Galactic Republic, has won the annual HoloNet News Lottery. A delighted Master Solo told the HoloNet News, "We will be spending the credits on a summer holiday on Mygeeto, where our eldest son Kyle works as a curse breaker for the InterGalactic Banking Clan." The Solo family will be spending a month on Mygeeto, returning for the start of the new school year at the Jedi Temple, where five of the Solo children currently attend.

_Luke scans the holograph of the Solo family: Jaina Solo; Jonash Solo; Kyle (Katarn) Solo, bearded with brown hair; Malakili Solo, a stocky Corellian; Threepio Solo, proper with golden eyes; Jacen and Ben Solo, identical twins with brown hair; Han Solo, brown-haired with a roguish grin (with Viceroy the womp rat on his shoulder); and Mara (Jade) Solo, beautiful with red-gold hair and bright green eyes._

_[aside, smiles] _Nobody deserves that more than the Solos.

_Luke opens Han's hololetter._

_Enter Han Solo, a holographic image of the roguish youth._

**Han. **Luke. Happy Naming Day! Look, I'm really sorry about comlink call. I hope the mundanes didn't give you a hard time. I asked Dad. He reckons I shouldn't have shouted. It's amazing here on Mygeeto. Kyle's taken us around all the tunnels and you wouldn't believe the curses the ancient Lurmen put on them. Mom wouldn't let Mara come in that last one. There were all these mutant skeletons of mundanes who had broken in and grown extra heads and whatnot. I couldn't believe it when Dad won the HoloNet News Lottery. Seven hundred dataries! Most of it has gone on this trip, but they're going to buy me a new lightsaber for next season. We'll be back about a week before term starts and we'll be going up to Mos Eisley to get my lightsaber and our new books. Any chance of meeting you there? Don't let the mundanes get you down. Try and come to Mos Eisley - Han. P.S. Threepio is Head Boy. He got his letter last week.

_Han pauses._

_Luke opens the next package - a spinning droid._

Luke. This is a Viper Probot. If there's someone untrustworthy around, it's supposed to light up and spin. Kyle says it's rubbish sold for tourists and isn't reliable, because it kept lighting up at dinner last night. But he didn't realize Jacen and Ben had put beetles in his giju stew. Solo out.

_Exit Han._

_Luke examines the tentacled Viper Probot._

_Luke turns to Artoo's package - a naming day card, a gift, and a hololetter._

_Enter Leia Organa, a holographic imitation of a white-robed girl with brown hair._

**Leia. **Luke. Han wrote to me and told me about his comlink call to your Uncle Owen. I do hope you're all right. I'm on holiday on Naboo at the moment and I didn't know how I was going to send this to you. What if they opened this at customs? But then Artoo turned up. I think she wanted to make sure you got something for your naming day for a change. I bought your present by droid-order; there was an advertisement on the HoloNet (I've been getting it delivered; it's good to keep up with what's going on in the galaxy). Did you see that holograph of Han and his family a few weeks ago? I bet he's learning loads. I'm really jealous; the ancient Lurmen people were fascinating. There's some interesting local history of the Force here, too. I've rewritten my whole Galactic History essay to include some of the things I've found out. I hope it's not too long. It's two rolls of durasheet more than Master Baas asked for. Han says he's going to be in Mos Eisley in the last week of the holidays. Can you make it? Will your aunt and uncle let you come? I really hope you can. If not, I'll see you on the Jedi Cruiser on September first. Love from Leia. P.S. Han says Threepio is Head Boy. I'll bet Threepio's really pleased. Han doesn't seem too happy about it.

_Exit Leia._

_Luke opens Leia's present - The Starship & Vehicle Directory, including a navicomputer and _The New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels_._

**Luke. **Wow, Leia.

_Luke picks up the final parcel - from Chewbacca._

_Enter _The Creation of Monsters_, an animate and ferocious book._

_As soon as Luke opens Chewbacca's package, _The Creation of Monsters _attacks._

Uh-oh.

_The monstrous book crawls under Luke's desk; Luke follows it._

_Luke crawls on hands and knees and reaches for it; it bites him._

O!

_Luke grabs a belt from his drawer and binds _The Creation of Monsters _shut tight._

_The book continues to struggle, but it is to no avail._

_Luke picks up Chewbacca's hololetter._

_Enter Chewbacca, a holographic image of the brown-furred Wookiee._

**Chewbacca. **Luke. Happy Naming Day! I thought you might find this useful for next season. I won't say any more here. I'll tell you when I see you. I hope the mundanes are treating you right. All the best, Chewbacca.

_Exit Chewbacca._

_Luke opens the hololetter from the Jedi Temple._

_Enter Mon Mothma, a holographic imitation of a severe auburn-haired woman._

**Mothma. **Master Skywalker. Please note that the new school year will begin on the first of September. The Jedi Cruiser will leave from Mos Eisley Spaceport, docking bay ninety-four, at eleven hundred hours. Third years are permitted to visit the village of CoCo Town on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission form to your parent or guardian to sign. A list of books for next year is enclosed. Yours sincerely, Senator Mon Mothma, Chief of State.

_Exit Mothma._

_Luke pulls out his CoCo Town permission form and frowns._

**Luke. **_[aside] _But how can I convince Uncle Owen or Aunt Beru to sign this?

_Exit all._


	4. Owen's Conditions

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, entering the Lars homestead kitchen._

_Enter Owen, Beru, and Jek (Porkins) Lars, watching the HoloVision._

**Newscaster. **The public is warned that Kenobi is armed and extremely dangerous. A special hot line has been set up, and any sighting of Kenobi should be reported immediately.

**Owen. **There's no need to tell us that _he's _no good. Look at his hair!

_Owen grins nastily at Luke._

_Luke sees the man on the HoloVision: Obi-Wan Kenobi, in brown robes with long graying auburn hair and blue-gray eyes, looking calm and in control._

**Newscaster. **The Ministry of Science will announce today . . .

**Owen. **Hang on! You didn't tell us where the maniac's escaped from. What use is that? The lunatic could be coming up the street right now.

_Beru glances out the window, as hoping to see a sign of Kenobi._

When will they _learn _that hanging's the only way to deal with these people?

**Beru. **Very true.

**Owen. **I'd better be off in a minute, Beru. Dama's ship arrives at ten.

**Luke. **Aunt Dama? She's coming here?

**Owen. **Dama will be here for a week. And while we're on the subject, we need to get a few things straight before I go and collect her. Firstly, you'll keep a civil tongue in your head when you're talking to Dama.

**Luke. **All right, if she does when she's talking to me.

**Owen. **Secondly, as Dama doesn't know anything about your _abnormality_, I don't want any . . . any _funny _stuff while she's here. You behave yourself, got me?

**Luke. **I will if she does.

**Owen. **And thirdly, we've told Dama you attend Syndaar Military Prep School.

**Luke. **_What_?

**Owen. **And you'll be sticking to that story, boy, or there will be trouble. _[to Beru] _Well, Beru, I'll be off to the spaceport, then. want to come along for the ride, Jek?

**Jek. **_[watching HoloVision] _No.

**Beru. **Jek has got to make himself smart for his auntie. Mommy's bought him a lovely new bow tie.

**Owen. **See you in a bit.

_Luke follows Owen._

I'm not taking _you_.

**Luke. **Like I wanted to come. I want to ask you something. Third years at the Jed . . . at my school are allowed to visit the village sometimes.

**Owen. **So?

**Luke. **I need you to sign the permission form.

**Owen. **And why should I do that?

**Luke. **Well, it will be hard work, pretending to Aunt Dama I go to that Syndic School or whatever it was . . .

**Owen. **Syndaar Military Prep School.

**Luke. **Exactly. It's a lot to remember. I'll have to make it sound convincing, won't I? What if I accidentally let something slip?

**Owen. **_You'll get the stuffing knocked out of you, won't you_?

**Luke. **That won't make Aunt Dama forget what I could tell her. But if you sign my permission form, I swear I'll remember where I'm supposed to go to school, and I'll act mundane and everything.

**Owen. **Right. I shall monitor your behavior carefully during Dama's visit. If, at the end of it, you've toed the line and kept to the story, I'll sign your ruddy form.

_Exit Owen._

_Luke runs upstairs to his room._

_Exit Beru and Jek._

_Enter R2-D2 and Fiver._

_Luke hides hs Jedi things under a loose floorboard in his room._

**Luke. **Artoo. You're going to have to clear off for a week. Go with Fiver. Han will look after you. I'll write him a note, explaining. And don't look at me like that. It's not my fault. It's the only way I'll be allowed to visit CoCo Town with Han and Leia.

_Exit all._


	5. Aunt Dama's Big Mistake

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke._

**Beru. **_[off stage] _Luke. Luke.

_Luke comes downstairs._

_Enter Beru._

Open the door.

_Luke opens the door._

_Enter Owen and Dama Lars, a round-faced woman with dust-colored hair, with her vornskr Sturm.._

**Dama. **Where's my Jek? Where's my neffy-poo?

_Enter Jek._

_Jek hugs Dama, receiving a trugut in return._

_Jek returns to the HoloVision._

Beru.

_Dama kisses Beru._

**Owen. **Tea, Dama? And what will Sturm take?

**Dama. **Sturm can have some tea out of my saucer.

_Luke carries Dama's suitcase into the spare bedroom, eager to be away from Dama._

_Luke returns downstairs to find them in the kitchen._

_Dama is eating fruitcake and drinking tea._

_Sturm drinks from Dama's saucer._

**Owen. **Can I tempt you, Dama?

**Dama. **Just a small one. A bit more . . . a bit more. That's the boy. _[takes a sip] _O! Excellent nosh, Beru. It's normally just a fry-up for me, what with twelve vornskrs.

**Owen. **Who's looking after the other vornskrs, Dama?

**Dama. **Oh, I've got Colonel Brunk managing them. He's retired now. It's good for him to have something to do. But I couldn't leave poor old Sturm. He pines if he's away from me. _[to Luke] _So! You're still here, are you?

**Luke. **Yes.

**Dama. **Don't say "yes" in that ungrateful way. It was damn good of my brother to keep you. _[to Owen and Beru] _It would have been straight to the orphanage if he had been dumped on my doorstep.

_Fuming with rage, Luke tries to smile._

What are you smirking at? Where is it that you send the boy, Owen?

**Owen. **Syndaar Military Prep School. It's a first-rate institution for hopeless cases.

**Dama. **I see. And do they use the cane at Syndaar, boy?

**Luke. **Oh, yes. I've been beaten loads of times.

**Dama. **Excellent. I won't have this namby-pamby wishy-washy nonsense about not beating people who deserve it. Still, you musn't yourself for how this one's turned out, Owen. It all comes down to blood. Bad blood will out. _[to Beru] _Now, I'm saying nothing against your family, Beru. But your sister was a bad egg. They turn up in the best families. Then she ran off with a wastrel and here's the result right in front of us. What is it the boy's father did, Beru?

**Beru. **Nothing. He didn't work. He was unemployed.

**Dama. **Of course. And a drunk, too, no doubt.

**Luke. **That's a lie.

**Dama. **What did you say, boy?

**Luke. **My dad wasn't a drunk.

_Dama's glass shatters._

**Beru. **By the Force! Dama!

**Dama. **Not to worry. I must have squeezed it too hard. I did the same thing at Colonel Brunk's the other day. No need to fuss, Beru. I have a very firm grip.

**Owen. **_[to Luke] _I think it's time you went to bed.

**Dama. **Quiet, Owen. _[to Luke] _You clean up. _[to Owen and Beru] _In fact, it's nothing to do with the father. It's more to do with the mother. you see it all the time with vornskrs. If there's something wrong with the _bitch_, then there will be something wrong with the pup.

**Luke. **Shut up! Shut up!

**Dama. **Right. Now let me tell you . . .

_Dama seems to be swelling with fury; her whole bpdy begins to expand._

_Dama begins to float away like a balloon._

**Owen. **Dama!

_Sturm leaps up, barking madly._

No!

_Owen tries to pull Dama back down, but is almost lifted off the ground himself._

I've got you, Dama. I've got you.

_Sturm sinks his teeth into Owen's leg._

_Dama looks fearfully into Owen's eyes._

**Dama. **Owen. Don't you dare . . .

_Owen lets go and lets Dama float to the ceiling._

_Luke storms off._

_Exit all but Luke._

_Luke opens the garage unconsciously with the Force and grabs his trunk._

_Luke sprints uostairs and grabs the rest of his Jedi supplies._

_Luke returns downstairs._

_Enter Owen, furious._

**Owen. **You come back in here! You come back in here and put her right!

**Luke. **No. She deserved what she got.

**Owen. **O!

**Luke. **_[removes his lightsaber] _Now keep away from me.

**Owen. **You're not allowed to use the Force outside the Temple.

**Luke. **Really? Try me.

**Owen. **They won't let you back now. You've got no where to go.

**Luke. **I don't care. Anywhere's better than here.

_Exit all._


	6. The Lady Luck

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, heaving his trunk away from the Lars homestead._

_Luke stops in the Jundland Wastes and drops to the ground with his trunk._

_Enter Obi-Wan Kenobi, disguised as an auburn-furred vornskr._

_Using the Force, Luke generates a small orb of light and focuses on Kenobi._

**Kenobi. **_[barks]_

_Enter the _Lady Luck_, a silver yacht landing with a deafening _bang_._

_Exit Kenobi._

_Enter Kyp Durron, a wild-eyed man with dark hair and eyes, wearing black robes._

**Kyp. **Welcome to the _Lady Luck_, emergency transport for the stranded Force adept. My name is Kyp Durron, and I will be your conductor for this evening.

_Kyp sees Luke laying on the ground._

What are you doing down there?

**Luke. **I fell over.

**Kyp. **What did you fall over for?

**Luke. **I didn't do it on purpose.

**Kyp. **Well, come on. Let's not wait for the grass to grow.

_Luke looks around for Kenobi._

What are you looking at?

**Luke. **Nothing.

**Kyp. **What's that on your head?

**Luke. **_[flattens his hair over his head] _Nothing.

**Kyp. **What's your name?

**Luke. **Wedge Antilles. So, this yacht - did you say it can go _anywhere_?

**Kyp. **Yes. Anywhere you like, as long as it's on the outer galaxy. We can't do anything in the Deep Core.

**Luke. **How much would it be to get to Coruscant?

**Kyp. **Eleven ingots. But for thirteen you get hot chocolate. And for fifteen you get a hot water bottle and a toothbrush in the color of your choice.

_Luke pays thirteen Republic ingots._

_Luke gets on the _Lady Luck_._

_Kyp joins Luke, heaving his trunk on the yacht._

_Luke sees that the _Lady Luck _is filled with beds._

_Enter Dash Rendar, a auburn-haired man asleep on one of the beds._

**Dash. **_[muttering] _Not now. I'm pickling slugs.

**Kyp. **_[indicates the bed behind the driver] _You have this one.

_Enter Qorl, a gray-haired old man with a cybernetic arm, and R5-L4, Kyp Durron's astromech droid._

This is our pilot, Qorl. This is Wedge Antilles, Qorl.

_Qorl nods._

Take her away, Qorl.

**R5-L4. **Yeah. Take her away, Qorl. This is going to be a bumpy ride.

_The _Lady Luck _leaps into lightspeed._

_In a flash, they arrive on another hyperlane._

**Kyp. **This is where we were before you flagged us down. Where are we, Qorl? Somewhere in the Vactooine system?

**Qorl. **Ar.

**Luke. **What about the mundanes? Won't they see us?

**Kyp. **They don't see nothing, do they?

**R5-L4. **But jab them with a fork, they feel.

**Qorl. **Best go wake up Master Vima-Da-Boda, Kyp. We'll be in the H'ratth system in a minute.

_The _Lady Luck _lands on a lush planet, H'ratth._

_Enter Vima-Da-Boda, an ancient woman in a black robe._

**Kyp. **_[helps Vima out of the ship] _Here you go, Master Vima.

_Exit Vima._

_The _Lady Luck _returns to lightspeed._

_Kyp takes a look at the HoloNet News._

_Luke recognizes the man on the front page: Obi-Wan Kenobi._

**Luke. **That man! He was on the mundane news.

**Kyp. **_[glances at Kenobi] _That's Obi-Wan Kenobi. Of course, he was on the mundane news, Wedge. Where have you been?

_Kyp chuckles and throws Luke the HoloNet._

You need to read the HoloNet more often, Wedge.

**Luke. **_[reading] Kenobi Still at Large_: Obi-Wan Kenobi, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in the spice mines of Kessel, is still eluding capture, the Galactic Republic confirmed today. "We are doing all we can to recapture Kenobi," said Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum, this morning, "and we beg the galaxy to remain calm." Valorum has been criticized by some members of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances for informing Mundane Head of State Seti Ashgad of the crisis. "Well, really. I had to, you know," said an irritable Valorum. "Kenobi is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, Force-sensitive or not. I have the Head of State's assurance that he will not breathe a word of Kenobi's true identity to anyone. And let's face it, who'd believe him if he did?" While mundanes have been told that Kenobi is carrying a blaster (a kind of metal lightsaber mundanes use to kill each other), the Forceful community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Kenobi murdered thirteen people with one curse.

**Kyp. **Scary-looking thing, isn't he?

**Luke. **He murdered _thirteen people _with _one curse_?

**Kyp. **Yes. In front of witnesses and all. Broad daylight. Big trouble it caused, didn't it, Qorl?

**Qorl. **Ar.

**Kyp. **Kenobi was a big supporter of You-Know-Who. I reckon you've heard of him.

**Luke. **Yeah. _Him _I've heard of. So, Kenobi was a supporter of You-Know-Who?

**Kyp. **Yeah. Very close to You-Know-Who, they say. Anyway, when little Luke Skywalker got the better of You-Know-Who, all of You-Know-Who's supporters were tracked down, weren't they, Qorl? Most of them knew it was over, with You-Know-Who gone, and they came quiet. But not Obi-Wan Kenobi. I heard he thought he'd be second-in-command once You-Know-Who had taken over. Anyway, they cornered Kenobi in the middle of a street of mundanes. And Kenobi took his lightsaber out, and he blasted the street apart, and a Jedi got it, and so did a dozen mundanes who got in the way. Horrible, eh? And you know what Kenobi did, then?

**Luke. **What?

**Kyp. **He _laughed_. He just stood there and laughed. And when reinforcements from the Republic arrived, he went with them quiet as anything, still laughing his head off, because he's mad, isn't he, Qorl?

**Qorl. **If he wasn't when he went to Kessel, he will be now. I'd blow myself up before I set foot in that place. It serves him right, mind you, after what he did.

**Kyp. **They had a job covering it up, didn't they, Qorl? What was it they said happened?

**Qorl. **Gas explosion.

**Kyp. **And now he's out.

**Luke. **How did he escape?

**Kyp. **Well, that's the question, isn't it? He's the first one whose done it. Frightening, eh? Mind, I don't fancy his chances against those Kessel guards, eh, Qorl?

**Qorl. **Talk about something else, Kyp. There's a good lad. Those Kessel guards give me the collywobbles.

**Kyp. **Right. Wedge. Whereabouts on Coruscant?

**Luke. **Chalmun's Cantina. That in Mos Eisley.

**Kyp. **_[laughs] _You hear that, Qorl? Chalmun's Cantina - that's in Mos Eisley.

**R5-L4. **O! Chalmun's Cantina! Make sure to eat the pea soup before it eats you.

_Elfour laughs maniacally._

_The _Lady Luck _lands in front of Chalmun's Cantina - a secret entrance on Coruscant._

**Luke. **_[to Qorl] _Thanks.

_Luke steps down the _Lady Luck_'s boarding ramp._

_Kyp helps him with his trunk._

Well, bye then.

_Enter Finis Valorum._

**Valorum. **_There_ you are, Luke.

**Kyp. **Blimey! Qorl. Come here! Come _here_!

_Kyp departs from the _Lady Luck _and runs over to Luke and Valorum._

What did you call Wedge, Chancellor?

**Valorum. **_[frowns] _Wedge? This is Luke Skywalker.

**Kyp. **I knew it! Qorl! Qorl! Guess who Wedge is, Qorl? He's Luke Skywalker. I can see his scar.

**Valorum. **Yes. Well, I'm very glad the _Lady Luck _picked Luke up. But he and I need to step inside Chalmun's now.

_Kyp returns to the _Lady Luck_._

**R5-L4. **Next stop: Nar Shaddaa.

**Kyp. **Take her away, Qorl.

**R5-L4. **Yeah. Take her away, Qorl.

_The _Lady Luck _vanishes into lightspeed._

_Exit Kyp, Qorl, and Elfour._

_Luke and Valorum enter Chalmun's Cantina._

_Exit all._


	7. Chalmun's Cantina

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Valorum, and Wuher._

**Wuher. **You got him, Chancellor? You need anything? Corellian ale? Brandy?

**Valorum. **Perhaps a pot of tea.

_Luke, Valorum, and Wuher enter a small parlor._

_Wuher lights a fire in the fireplace._

_Exit Wuher._

Sit down, Luke.

_Luke sits down._

_Enter Wuher, with a tray of tea and crumpets._

As Supreme Chancellor, it is my duty to inform you, Master Skywalker, that the unfortunate incident with Mistress Dama Lars has been dealt with. The Antarian Rangers were dispatched immediately. She was properly punctured and her memory rubbed. She will have no recollection of the incident whatsoever. So that's that, and no harm done. _[smiles] _Pea soup?

**Luke. **No, thank you. Chancellor. I don't understand.

**Valorum. **Understand?

**Luke. **I broke the law. Underage adepts aren't allowed to use the Force at home.

**Valorum. **Oh, come now, Luke. The Republic doesn't send beings to Kessel for blowing up their aunts.

**Luke. **Last season, I received an official warning just because a Gungan smashed a pudding in my uncle's homestead. The Galactic Republic said I'd be expelled from the Jedi Temple if there was anymore Force use there.

**Valorum. **Circumstances change, Luke. Surely you don't _want _to be expelled?

**Luke. **Of course I don't.

**Valorum. **Well, then, what is the fuss all about? On the other hand, running away like that, given the state of things, was very irresponsible.

**Luke. **The state of things, sir?

**Valorum. **We have a killer on the loose.

**Luke. **Obi-Wan Kenobi, you mean. But what's that got to do with me?

**Valorum. **Hmm? Oh, nothing, of course. You're safe, and that's what matters. Now Wuher will show you to your room.

_Luke prepares to follow Wuher out of the parlor._

Oh, by the way, Luke, whilst you are here, it would be best if you didn't . . . ah . . . wander. Keep to Mos Eisley. And you're to be back before dark each night. I'm sure you'll understand. Wuher will be keeping an eye on you for me.

**Luke. **Okay. But why . . .

**Valorum. **Don't want to lose you again, do we? No, no. Best we know where you are. . . .

_Exit Valorum._

**Wuher. **This way, Master Skywalker.

_Luke follows Wuher out of the parlor._

_Luke and Wuher arrive in room eleven._

_Enter R2-D2._

**Luke. **Artoo.

**Wuher. **Right smart droid you've got there, Master Skywalker. He arrived just five minutes before yourself. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask.

_Exit Wuher._

_Luke lays in his bed._

**Luke. **It's been a very weird night, Artoo.

_Exit all._


	8. Death Omens

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, in Mos Eisley._

_Luke enters a diner to eat._

_Enter First Diner and Second Diner._

**First Diner. **It's an astrograph, old boy. No more messing with star-charts, see?

**Second Diner. **_[about Obi-Wan Kenobi] _Personally, I won't let any of my children out alone until he's back on Kessel.

_Exit First Diner and Second Diner._

_Luke arrives at Vidar Kim's Ice Cream Parlor, where he works on Vodo Siosk-Baas's essay._

_Enter Vidar Kim, a bearded man in blue robes._

**Kim. **Working on Galactic History, eh, son? Excuse my lack of modesty, but I happen to be a bit of an expert on medieval witch burnings.

**Luke. **_[aside] _So, for the next half hour, Master Kim offers me free sundaes, as he helps me with my essay.

_Exit Kim._

_Luke enters Muunilinst, returning with bags of dataries, ingots, and decicreds._

_As Luke walks down the street, he notices certain things, such as pazaak set or an impressive holoprojector, and resists the urge to buy anything._

_Luke enters Spaceport Speeders._

_Luke notices a crowd of Force users, surrounding an A-wing starfighter._

_Enter Wioslea, a green-skinned woman with multiple eyes._

**Wioslea. **It's just come out, a prototype.

_Enter Muftak, a white-furred Talz, with his daughter Kabe, a small Chadra-Fan._

**Kabe. **It's the fastest ship in the galaxy, isn't it, Dad?

**Wioslea. **The Alderaanian Interplanetary Team has just put in an order for seven of these beauties. And they're favorites for the Galactic Cup.

_Luke examines the A-wing, a crimson starfighter shaped like an _A_._

**Luke. **_[reading]_ _RZ-1 A-wing Interceptor_: This state-of-the-art starfighter sports a streamlined, superfine titanium alloy frame and a durasteel hull, treated with a Corusca-hard polish with its own registration number. Both individually selected Novaldex J-77 Event Horizon engines has been honed to astrodynamic perfection, giving the A-wing unsurpassable balance and pinpoint precision. The A-wing has an Incom GBk-785 0.1-class hyperdrive and incorporates a Sirplex Z-9 deflector shield projector. Price on request. _[aside] _I've never wanted anything more in my life. But I've never lost a Smashball match with my X-wing, so what's the point of emptying my vault on Muunilinst for the A-wing? However, I can't help but admire this beauty every time I come in here.

_Luke leaves Spaceport Speeders._

_Luke enters the apothecary and buys a new set of potions ingredients._

_Luke enters Shmi Skywalker's Robes and buys a new set of Jedi robes._

_Luke enters Obroa-skai._

_Luke sees a box of _The Creation of Monsters _books incage, fighting to escape._

_[reads list] _Third year initiates will require: _A Standard Book of the Force__, Volume III _by Mander Zuma | _The Creation of Monsters _by Naga Sadow | _Vision of the Future _by Nomi Sunrider | _The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force _by Fae Coven

_Enter Vicendi._

**Vicendi. **Jedi? Come to get your new books?

**Luke. **Yes. I need . . .

**Vicendi. **_[impatient] _Get out of the way.

_Vicendi draws a pair of thick gloves, picks up a walking stick, and approaches _The Creation of Monsters _cage._

**Luke. **Hang on. I've already got those.

**Vicendi. **Have you? _[sighs] _Thank the Force for that. I've been bitten five times already this morning . . .

The Creation of Monsters _books begin attacking each other._

Stop it! Stop it! I'm never stocking them again. Never! It's been bedlam. I thought we'd seen the worst when we bought two hundred copies of _Book of Shadows_. It cost a fortune, and we never found them. Well, is there anything else I can help you with?

**Luke. **Yes. I need _Vision of the Future _by Nomi Sunrider.

**Vicendi. **O! Starting Divination, are you?

_Luke follows Vicendi over to the Divination section._

_[hands Luke a book] _Here you are. _Vision of the Future_. Very good guide to all your basic farseeing methods: Force Sense, precognition, shatterpoint . . .

_Luke's eyes fall on another book: _From the Darkest Way of the Force_, where Luke sees an image of a vornskr, one very similar to the one he'd seen back on Tatooine. . . ._

Oh, I wouldn't read that if I were you. You'll start seeing death omens everywhere. It's enough to frighten anyone to death. Anything else?

**Luke. **Yes. Er, I need _The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force _and _A Standard Book of the Force, Volume III._

_Luke leaves Obroa-skai with his three new books in his arms._

_Luke returns to Chalmun's Cantina and goes up to his room._

_Luke looks at himself in the mirror._

It can't have been a death omen. I was panicking when I saw that thing in the Jundland Wastes. It was probably just a stray vornskr.

_Luke tries to flatten his hair._

**Mirror. **You're fighting a losing battle there, dear.

_Exit all._


	9. Haruun Kal

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, in Mos Eisley._

_Enter Han and Leia._

**Han. **Luke. Luke!

_Luke runs over to Han and Leia outside Vidar Kim's._

Finally! We went to Chalmun's. But they said you'd left. And then we went to Obroa-skai and Shmi Skywalker's and . . .

**Luke. **I did all my shopping last week. And how come you knew I'm staying at Chalmun's Cantina?

**Han. **Dad.

**Leia. **Did you _really _blow up your aunt, Luke?

**Luke. **I didn't mean to blow her up. I just . . . lost control.

**Han. **Brilliant!

**Leia. **It's not funny, Han. Luke is lucky not to have been expelled.

**Luke. **I think I was lucky not to be arrested actually.

**Han. **I still think it was brilliant.

**Luke. **Your father doesn't know why Valorum let me off, does he?

**Han. **It's probably because it's you, famous Luke Skywalker and all that. I'd hate to see what the Republic would do to _me _if I blew up my aunt. Mind you, they'd have to dig me up first, because Mom would have killed me. Anyway, you can ask Dad yourself this evening. We're staying at Chalmun's tonight, too. So you can come to mos Eisley Spaceport with us tomorrow. Leia's there as well.

**Leia. **Mother and Father dropped me off this morning with all my Jedi things.

**Luke. **Excellent! So, have you got all your new books and stuff?

**Han. **_[removes his lightsaber] _Look at this. Brand-new lightsaber. Fourteen inches, green, containing one Corusca gem. And we've got all our new books. What about those _Creation of Monsters _books, eh? The assistant nearly cried when we said we wanted two.

**Luke. **_[sees Leia's bags] _What's all that, Leia?

**Leia. **Well, I'm taking more new subjects than you, aren't I? these are my books for Precognition, Animal Friendship, Divination, the Study of Force Comprehension, Mundane Studies . . .

**Han. **What are you taking Mundane Studies for? You're mundane-born. Your parents are mundane. You know all about mundanes.

**Leia. **But it will be fascinating to study them from a Forceful point of view.

**Luke. **Are you planning to eat or sleep at all this season, Leia?

_Han laughs._

**Leia. **_[checks her bag] _I've still got ten dataries. It's my naming day in September. And Mother and Father gave me credits to get myself an early naming day present.

**Han. **How about a nice _book_?

**Leia. **No. I don't think so. I really want a droid. I mean, Luke's got Artoo and you've got Fiver . . .

**Han. **I haven't. Fiver's a family droid. All I've got is Viceroy.

_Enter Viceroy, Han's womp rat._

And I want to get him checked over. I don't think Mygeeto agreed with him.

**Luke. **There's a Force-sensitive creature shop over there. You could see if they've got anything for Viceroy. And Leia can get her droid.

_Luke, Han, and Leia enter Haruun Kal._

_Enter Nick Rostu, a dark-skinned man in brown robes._

_Luke examines the creatures in the shop: ysalamari, akk dogs, vornskrs, and taozins._

**Han. **It's my rat. He's been a bit off-color ever since I brought him back from Mygeeto.

**Nick. **Bang him on the counter.

_Han sets Viceroy on the counter._

Hmm. How old is this rat?

**Han. **I don't know. Quite old. He used to belong to my brother.

**Nick. **What powers does he have?

**Han. **Er . . .

**Nick. **He's been through the mill, this one.

**Han. **He was like that when Threepio gave him to me.

**Nick. **An ordinary common womp rat like this can't be expected to live longer than three years or so. Now, if you were looking for something a bit more hard-wearing, you might like one of these . . .

_Nick shows Han a pair of skipping nudjs._

**Han. **Show offs.

**Nick. **Well, if you don't want a replacement, you can try this rat tonic.

**Han. **Okay. How much . . . ?

_Enter Anji, a orange-furred nexu, who jumps at Han._

O!

**Nick. **No, Anji! No!

_Viceroy runs._

**Han. **Viceroy.

_Nick recaptures Anji, and Han retrieves Viceroy._

_Exit Nick and Anji._

What _was _that?

**Luke. **It was either a very big cat or a rather small vine tiger.

**Han. **Where's Leia?

**Luke. **Probably getting her droid.

_Enter Leia with Anji._

**Han. **You _bought _that monster?

**Leia. **She's _gorgeous_, isn't she?

**Han. **Leia. That thing nearly scalped me.

**Leia. **She didn't mean to, did you, Anji?

**Han. **And what about Viceroy? He needs rest and relaxation. How is he going to get it with that thing around?

**Leia. **_[hands Han the rat tonic] _That reminds me; you forgot your rat tonic. And stop _worrying_. Anji will be sleeping in my dormitory and Viceroy in yours. What's the problem? Poor Anji. That Korun said he'd been in there for ages. No one wanted him.

**Han. **I wonder why.

_Exit all._


	10. The Solos

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia, in Chalmun's Cantina._

_Enter Jonash Solo, reading the HoloNet with a holograph of Obi-Wan Kenobi on the front page._

**Jonash. **Luke. How are you?

**Luke. **Fine. Thanks. _[indicates Kenobi] _They still haven't caught him, then?

**Jonash. **No. They pulled us all off our regular jobs at the Republic to try and find him, but no luck so far.

**Han. **Would we get a reward if we caught him? It would be good to get some credits . . .

**Jonash. **Don't be ridiculous, Han. Kenobi's not going to be caught by a thirteen-year-old Force adept. It's the Kessel guards who will get him back; you mark my words.

_Enter Jaina, Threepio, Jacen, Ben, and Mara Jade Solo._

**Mara. **_[to Luke] _Hello.

_Threepio holds his hand outto Luke solemnly._

**Threepio. **Luke. How nice to see you.

**Luke. **Hello, Threepio.

**Threepio.** _[shakes his hand] _I hope you are well?

**Luke. **Very well. Thanks.

**Jacen. **_[elbows Threepio out of the way and bows] _Luke. Simply splendid to see you, old boy.

**Ben. **_[shakes his hand] _Marvelous. Absolutely spiffing.

**Jaina. **That's enough now.

**Jacen. **_[shakes her hand] _Mom. How really corking to see you.

**Jaina. **I said, that's enough. _[to Luke] _Hello, Luke, dear. I suppose you've heard our exciting news? _[indicates Threepio] _Second Head Boy in the family!

**Jacen. **And last.

**Jaina. **I don't doubt that. I notice they haven't made you two prefects.

**Ben. **What would we want to be prefects for? It would take all the fun out of life.

_Mara laughs._

**Jaina. **You'll want to set a better example for your sister.

**Threepio. **Mara has other brothers to set her an example, Mother. I'm going up to change for dinner.

_Exit Threepio._

_Ben sighs._

**Ben. **_[to Luke] _We tried to shut him in an underground tunnel. But Mom spotted us.

_Exit all._


	11. A New Enemy

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Leia, and the Solos._

**Jacen. **How are we getting to Mos Eisley Spaceport tomorrow, Dad?

**Jonash. **The Republic's providing a couple of speeders.

**Threepio. **Why?

**Ben. **It's because of you, Goldenrod. And there will be little flags on the hoods, with HB on them . . .

**Jacen. **For Humongous Bighead.

_All but Threepio and Jaina laugh._

**Threepio. **Why is the Republic providing speeders, Father?

**Jonash. **Well, as we haven't got one anymore, and as I work there, they're doing me a favor.

**Jaina. **A good thing, too. Do you realize how much luggage you've all got between you? A nice sight you'd be on the Coruscant Subway. You are all packed, aren't you?

**Threepio. **Han hasn't put his new things in his trunk yet. He's dumped them on my bed.

**Jaina. **You'd better go and pack properly, Han, because we won't have much time in the morning.

_Exit all but Luke._

_Luke hears arguing in the room next to his._

_Luke walks in Han's room._

_Enter Han and Threepio._

**Threepio. **It was _here_, on the bedside table. I took it off for polishing.

**Han. **I haven't touched it. All right?

**Luke. **What's up?

**Threepio. **My Head Boy badge is gone.

**Han. **So is Viceroy's rat tonic. I think I might have left it in the cantina.

**Threepio. **You're not going anywhere until you've found my badge.

**Luke. **I'll get Viceroy's stuff. I'm packed.

_Exit Han and Threepio._

_Luke returns to the cantina._

_Enter Jaina and Jonash, arguing._

**Jonash. **It makes no sense not to tell him. Luke has got the right to know. I've tried to tell Valorum, but he insists on treating Luke like a child. He's thirteen years old and . . .

**Jaina. **Jonash. The truth would terrify him. Do you really want to send Luke back to the Temple with that hanging over him? For Edge's sake, he's _happy _not knowing.

**Jonash. **I don't want to make him miserable. I want to put him on his guard. You know what Luke and Han are like, wandering off by themselves - they've even ended up on the Endor Moon. But Luke musn't do that this year. When I think what could have happened to him that night he ran away from home! If the _Lady Luck _hadn't picked him up, I'm prepared to bet he would have been dead before the Republic found him.

**Jaina. **But he's _not _dead; he's fine. So what's the point?

**Jonash. **Jaina. They say Obi-Wan Kenobi is mad, and maybe he is. But he was clever enough to escape from Kessel, and that's supposed to be impossible. It's been a month, and no one has seen hide nor hair of him. I don't care what Valorum keeps telling the HoloNet. We're no nearer catching Kenobi than inventing interdimensional travel. The only thing we know for sure is what Kenobi is after . . .

**Jaina. **But Luke will be perfectly safe at the Jedi Temple.

**Jonash. **We thought Kessel was safe. If Kenobi can break out of Kessel, he can break into the Jedi Temple.

**Jaina. **But no one is really sure thatr Kenobi is after Luke . . .

**Jonash. **_[bangs his fist on the table] _Jaina. How many times do I have to tell you? They didn't report it into the press because Valorum wanted it kept quiet. Valorum went to Kessel the night Kenobi escaped. The guards told Valorum that Kenobi's been talking in his sleep for a while now. Always the same words: "He's at the Jedi Temple. He's at the Jedi Temple." Kenobi is deranged, Jaina. When Luke stopped You-Know-Who, Kenobi lost eveything. But to this day, he remains a faithful servant. And, in his mind, Luke is the only one who stands in the way of You-Know-Who's returning to power. And that is why he has escaped from Kessel, to find Luke and kill him.

**Jaina. **Jonash. You must do what you think is right. But you're forgetting Yoda. I don't think anything could hurt Luke while Yoda's Grand Master. I suppose he knows all about this?

**Jonash. **Of course he knows. We had to ask him if he minds the Kessel guards' stationing themselves around the entrances to the Temple grounds. He wasn't happy about it, but he agreed.

**Jaina. **Not happy? Why shouldn't he be happy, if they're there to capture Kenobi?

**Jonash. **Yoda isn't fond of the Kessel guards. Nor am I, if it comes to that. But when you're dealing with a man like Kenobi, you sometimes have to join forces with thoise you'd rather avoid.

**Jaina. **If they save Luke . . .

**Jonash. **Then I will never say another word against them. It's late, Jaina. We'd better go up.

_Exit Jaina and Jonash._

_Luke retrieves the rat tonic and heads back upstairs._

_Enter Jacen and Ben._

**Jacen. **_[holds out Threepio's badge] _We've got it. We've been improving it.

**Ben. **It now reads "Bighead Boy."

_Luke forces a laugh._

_Exit Jacen and Ben._

_Luke returns to his room._

**Luke. **_[aside] _So Obi-Wan Kenobi is after me. This explains everything. Valorum was lenient with me because he was so relieved to find me alive. He made me promise to stay in Mos Eisley where there are plenty of beings to keep an eye on me. And he's sending two Republic speeders to take us all to the spaceport tomorrow, so the Solos can look after me until I'm on the Jedi Cruiser. Why don't I feel more scared? Obi-Wan Kenobi murdered thirteen beings with one curse. but it's just . . . I agree with Mistress Solo; the safest place in the galaxy is wherever Master Yoda happens to be. Doesn't everyone always say that Yoda is the only being Lord Sidious ever feared? Surely Kenobi, as Sidious's right-hand man, would be just as frightened of him? And then there are the Kessel guards everyone can't stop talking about. They seem to scare most sentient beings senseless. If they're stationed all around the Temple, Kenobi really doesn't stand a chance. The only thing that truly bothers me is the odds of my visiting CoCo Town are truly remote. _[out loud] _I'm _not _going to be murdered.

**Mirror. **That's the spirit, dear.

_Exit all._


	12. Jonash's Warning

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and R2-D2, asleep and deactivated respectively._

_Enter Wuher, who wakes luke with a grin._

_Exit Wuher._

_Luke coerces a disgruntled Artoo into his cage._

_Enter Han._

**Han. **The sooner we get on the ship, the better. At least I can get away from Threepio at the Jedi Temple. Now he's accusing me of dripping tea on his holograph of Tece Fortine. You know, his _girlfriend_. She's hidden her face under the frame because her nose has gone all blotchy.

**Luke. **I've got something to tell you.

_Enter Jacen and Ben, who congratulate Han's infuriating Threepio._

_The quartet head down for breakfast._

_Enter Jonash, Jaina, Leia, and Mara._

_Jonash reads the HoloNet News._

**Jaina.**_ [tells Leia and Mara about a Love Potion she made as a young girl]_

**Both. **_[giggle]_

**Han. **_[to Luke] _What were you saying?

_Enter Threepio._

**Luke. **Later.

_Luke, Leia, and the Solos (with Artoo, Em Teedee, Anji, and Viceroy) leave Chalmun's Cantina._

**Leia. **_[to Anji] _It's all right, Anji. I'll let you out on the ship.

**Han. **You will not. What about poor Viceroy, eh?

_The Republic's XP-38 landspeeders arrive._

**Jonash. **They're here. Let's go.

_Enter Davijaan and Jon Vander, the pilots._

In you get, Luke.

_Luke, Han, Leia, and Threepio (with their pets) sit behind Davijaan._

_Jaina, Jonash, Jacen, Ben, and Mara sit behind Vander._

_The landspeeders veer away from Chalmun's Cantina and move on._

_The speeders stop in Mos Eisley Spaceport._

_Luke, Leia, and the Solos get out of the speeders._

_Exit Davijaan and Vander, veering away from the spaceport._

Right then. Let's do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I'll go through first with Luke.

_Jonash and Luke step onto Docking Bay Ninety-Four._

_Enter Jedi Cruiser._

_Threepio and Mara follow Luke and Jonash._

**Threepio. **O! There's Tece.

_Threepio smoothes his hair and heads off._

_Luke and Mara exchange looks and laugh._

_Leia and the other Solos arrive._

_Luke, Leia, and the Solos put their things in the luggage rack, then return to say good-bye to the elder Solos._

_Jaina embraces her children, Leia, and Luke._

**Jaina. **Do take care, won't you, Luke?

_Jaina passes out the teens' sandwiches._

**Jonash. **Luke. I wonder if I might have a word?

_Jonash and Luke move out of Jaina's earshot._

_Exit Leia and the Solo children._

Luke. There are some within the Republic who would strongly discourage me from divulging what I'm about to reveal to you. But I think that you need to know the facts. You are in danger, grave danger.

**Luke. **It's all right, Master Solo. I already know.

**Jonash. **You know? How could you know?

**Luke. **I . . . er . . . overheard you and Mistress Solo last night. Sorry.

**Jonash.** That's not the way I'd have chosen you to find out.

**Luke. **No. Honestly, it's okay. his way, you haven't broken your word to Valorum and I know what's going on.

**Jonash. **Luke. You must be very scared . . .

**Luke. **I'm not . . . _really_. I'm not trying to be a hero. But seriously, Obi-Wan Kenobi can't be worse than Sidious, can he?

**Jonash. **_[flinches] _Luke. I knew you were made of stronger stuff than Valorum seemsto think. I'm obviously pleased you're not scared, but . . .

**Jaina. **Jonash. Jonash. What are you doing? It's about time to go.

**Jonash. **He's coming, Jaina. _[to Luke] _Luke. I want you to swear to me that, whatever you might hear, you won't go looking for Kenobi.

**Luke. **Master Solo. Why would I go looking for someone who wants to kill me?

**Jonash. **Just watch yourself, will you, Luke?

_Exit all._


	13. The Tusken

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, Leia, and Mara._

**Luke. **I need to speak to you in private.

**Han. **Go away, Mara.

**Mara. **Oh, that's nice.

_Exit Mara, storming off._

_Luke, Han, and Leia enter a compartment._

_Enter Qui-Gon Jinn, a grizzled old man with bright blue eyes and brown Jedi robes._

**Han. **Who do you reckon he is?

**Leia. **Master Qui-Gon Jinn.

**Han. **You know everything. How is it she knows everything?

**Leia. **It's on his suitcase, Han.

**Han. **I wonder what he teaches?

**Leia. **That's obvious. There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defense Against the Dark Side.

**Han. **Well, I hope he's up to it. He looks like one good hex would finish him off, doesn't he?

**Luke. **Do you reckon he's really asleep?

**Leia. **He seems to be. Why?

**Luke. **Close the door.

_As soon as Leia closes the door, Luke tells herand Han about the Solos' argument and Jonash's warning._

**Han. **Let me get this straight. Obi-Wan Kenobi has escaped from Kessel to come after you?

**Leia. **Luke. You'll havbe to be very careful. Don't go looking for trouble.

**Luke. **I don't go looking for trouble. Trouble usually finds me.

**Han. **How thick would Luke have to be to go after a nutter who wants to kill him?

**Leia. **But they'll catch Kenobi, won't they? I mean, everyone's looking for him.

**Han. **Of course. But no one's ever broken out of Kessel before. And Kenobi is a murderous, raving lunatic.

**Luke. **_[sarcastic] _Thanks, Han.

**Han. **I'm here for you, kid.

_The trio pauses at the sound of a strange whirring._

What's that noise?

_Luke, Han, and Leia look around._

It's coming from your trunk, Luke.

_Enter Viper Probot._

**Leia. **Is that a _probe droid_?

**Han.** Yes. Mind you, it's a very cheap one. It went haywire just as I was storing it inside Fiver to send it to Luke.

**Leia. **Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?

**Han. **No! Well, I wasn't supposed to be using Fiver. You know he's really not up to long journeys. But how else was I to get Luke's present to him?

**Luke. **Stick it back in the trunk or it will wake him up.

_Han places the Viper Probot back in Luke's trunk, inside a pair of Uncle Owen's socks._

**Han. **We could get it checked in CoCo Town. They sell that sort of thing in Arakyd Industries, Force-sensitive artifacts. Jacen and Ben told me.

**Leia. **Do you know much about CoCo Town? I've read it's the only entirely Force-using settlement in the Core.

**Han. **Yeah. I think it is. But that's not why I want to go. I just want to get inside Dex's Donuts.

**Leia. **What's that?

**Han. **It's this sweetshop. They've got _everything_. Plasma Clouds - they make you smoke at your mouth - and chocolate ladybabies full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sparklemint sticks, which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next . . .

**Leia. **But CoCo Town is a very interesting place, isn't it? In _The History of the Jedi Knights_, it says the diner was the headquarters for the Muun Separatist Movement, and the Valley of the Jedi is supposed to be the most haunted area in the galaxy . . .

**Han. **And balls of glitterstim spice, which makes you levitate a few centimeters off the ground while you're sucking them.

**Leia. **_[to Luke] _Won't it be nice to get out of the Temple and explore CoCo Town?

**Luke. **I expect it will. You'll have to tell me when you've found out.

**Han. **What do you mean?

**Luke. **I can't go. The Larses didn't sign my permission form.

**Han. **_You're not allowed to come_? But surely Mothma will give you permission . . .

_Luke laughs ironically._

Or we can ask Jacen and Ben. They know every secret passageway out of the Temple.

**Leia. **Han. I don't think Luke should be sneaking out of the Temple with Kenobi on the loose.

**Luke. **Which is exactly what Mothma will say, probably.

**Han. **But _we're _with him. Kenobi wouldn't dare . . .

**Leia. **O! Han. Don't talk rubbish. Kenobi's already commited genocide. I don't think he's going to worry about attacking Luke just because _we're_ with him.

_Leia fumbles with the straps on Anji's basket._

**Han. **Don't let that thing out.

_Enter Anji, who leaps at Viceroy._

_Han shoves the nexu away._

Get out of here.

**Leia. **Han. Don't.

_Qui-Gon stirs, then rolls back to sleep._

_Anji settles on an empty seat._

_Enter Vendor, pushing trolley of sweets._

**Han. **_[nods toward Qui-Gon] _Do you reckon we should wake him? He looks like he could do with some food.

**Leia. **_[to Qui-Gon] _Er, Master? Excuse me. Master Jinn?

_Qui-Gon does not move._

**Vendor. **Don't worry, dear. If he's hungry when he wakes, I'll be up front with the pilot.

_The vendor passes out sweets._

_Exit Vendor._

**Han. **I suppose he _is _asleep. I mean, he hasn't died, has he?

**Leia. **No. He's breathing.

_Enter Galen Marek, Cornelius Evazan, and Ponda Baba._

**Marek. **Well, look who it is. Wormie and the Corellian.

_Evazan and Baba laugh._

I heard your father finally got his hands on some credits this summer, Solo. Did your mother die of shock?

_Han rises to his feet._

**Qui-Gon. **_[snorts]_

**Marek. **Who's that?

**Luke. **New Master. What were you saying, Marek?

**Marek. **_[to Evazan and Baba] _Come on.

_Exit Marek, Evazan, and Baba._

**Han. **I'm not going to take any fodder from Marek this year. I mean it. If he makes one more crack about my family, I'm going to get hold of his head and . . .

_Han makes a violent gesture._

**Leia. **_[indicates Qui-Gon] _Han.

_The Jedi Cruiser stops._

_[checks her chrono] _Why are we stopping? We can't be there yet.

_Every glowpanel blinks out._

**Han. **What's going on?

**Luke. **I don't know. Maybe we've broken down?

**Leia. **O! Han. That was my foot.

**Han. **_[glances out the viewport] _There's something moving out there. It looks like something is coming on board.

_Enter Wedge Antilles, who falls on Luke's legs._

**Wedge. **Sorry. Do you know what's going on? Ouch. Sorry.

**Luke. **Hello, Wedge.

**Wedge. **Luke? Is that you? What's happening?

**Luke. **No idea. Sit down.

_In the dark, Wedge accidentally sits on Anji._

**Anji. **_[snarls]_

_Leia stands._

**Leia. **I'm going to go and ask the pilot what's going on.

_Enter Mara, who runs right into Leia; both fall back down._

Who's that?

**Mara. **Who's _that_?

**Leia. **Mara?

**Mara. **Leia?

**Leia. **What are you doing?

**Mara. **I was looking for Han.

**Leia. **Come in and sit down.

_Mara sits down on Luke._

**Luke. **Not here. _I'm_ here.

_Mara sits on Wedge._

**Wedge. **O!

**Qui-Gon. **Quiet!

_Using the Force, Qui-Gon generates a small ball of flames, illuminating the compartment._

Stay where you are.

_Qui-Gon walks over to the door._

_The door slides open._

_Enter Tusken, a humanoid creature covered in cloth and holding a two-edged gaderffi._

_The Tusken is drawn toward Luke._

_The Tusken breathes in, sucking in something more than oxygen._

_The room temperature appears to drop._

_Enter Padmé Skywalker, unseen and unheard (except for Luke)._

**Padmé. **_[screams] _Luke!

_Luke passes out._

_Qui-Gon approaches the Tusken, his lightsaber raised._

**Qui-Gon. **You have no business here. None of us is hiding Obi-Wan Kenobi under our cloaks. Disperse!

_The Tusken does not move, focused on Luke._

_Tutaminis_.

_Using the Force, Qui-Gon creates a shield and deflects the Tusken._

_Exit Tusken._


	14. Mon Mothma and Vokara Che

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, Leia, Mara, and Wedge._

_Luke returns to consciousness._

**Leia. **Luke. Are you all right?

_Luke notices the ship is moving and the glowpanels illuminate once more._

_Luke sits up._

**Luke. **Thank you.

_Enter Qui-Gon Jinn._

**Qui-Gon. **_[holds out a bar of chocolate] _Eat this. It will help.

_Luke takes the chocolate._

It's all right. It's chocolate.

**Luke. **What . . . what was that thing that came?

**Qui-Gon. **It was a Tusken, one of the guards of Kessel. It's gone now. It was searching the ship for Obi-Wan Kenobi. If you'll excuse me, I must speak with the pilot. Eat. You'll feel better.

_Exit Qui-Gon._

**Luke. **What happened to me?

**Leia. **Well, that thing - the Tusken - stood there and looked around (I mean, ithink it did; I couldn't see its face), and you . . . you . . .

**Han. **You sort of went rigid. We thought you were having a fit or something.

**Luke. **And did any of you . . . you know, pass out?

**Han. **No. I felt weird though, like I'd never be cheerful again.

**Luke. **But someone was screaming, a woman.

**Leia. **No one was screaming, Luke.

**Han. **Mara was shaking like mad, though.

**Wedge. **It was horrible. Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?

_Mara sobs; Leia puts a comforting arm around her._

_Enter Qui-Gon._

**Qui-Gon. **_[with a smile] _I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know.

_Luke eats the chocolate, which spreads warmth throughout his being._

We'll be at the Jedi Temple in ten minutes. Are you all right, Luke?

**Luke. **Fine.

_After ten minutes of silence, they arrive at the Jedi Temple._

_Luke, Han, Leia, Mara, Qui-Gon, and Wedge make way for the carriages, with other older students._

_Enter Chewbacca._

**Chewbacca. **First years this way.

_A group of first years, including Salla Zend and Liam, follow Chewbacca._

_[to Luke, Han, and Leia] _All right, you three?

_Luke, Han, and Leia wave at Chewbacca._

_Luke, Han, and Leia board a carriage pulled by invisible voxyn._

_Exit Wedge, Qui-Gon, and Mara, in their own separate carriages._

_The carriages move, passing by two Tusken guards._

_The carriages stop at the Temple._

_Luke, Han, and Leia get out of the carriages._

_Enter Galen Marek, Cornelius Evazan, and Ponda Baba._

**Marek. **Skywalker. Is it true you fainted? Is Antilles telling the truth? You actually fainted?

**Han. **Shove off, Marek.

**Marek. **Did you faint too, Solo? Did the scary old Tusken you, too, Solo?

_Enter Qui-Gon._

**Qui-Gon. **Is there a problem?

**Marek. **_[glares at Qui-Gon] _Oh, no . . . er . . . Master.

_Marek smirks at Evazan and Baba._

_Exit Marek, Evazan, and Baba._

_Exit Qui-Gon._

_Luke, Han, and Leia enter the Jedi Temple._

_Enter Mon Mothma._

**Mothma. **Skywalker. Organa. I want to see you both. _[sees Luke's expression] _There's no need to look so worried. I just want a word in my quarters. _[to Han] _Move along there, Solo.

_Exit Han._

_Luke, Leia, and Mothma enter Mon Mothma's quarters._

Master Jinn sent a droid to say that you were taken ill on the ship, Skywalker.

_Enter Vokara Che._

**Luke. **I'm fine. I don't need anything.

**Che. **Oh, it's you, is it? I suppose you've been doing something dangerous again?

**Mothma. **It was a Tusken, Vokara.

_Mothma and Che exchange looks._

_Che examines Luke._

**Che. **Setting Tuskens around a learning institution. He won't be the last one who collapses. Yes. He's all clammy. Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on beings who are already delicate.

**Luke. **I'm not delicate.

**Che. **_[checks pulse] _Of course you're not.

**Mothma. **What does he need? Bed rest? Should he perhaps spend tonight in the medcenter?

**Luke. **_[jumps up] _I'm fine.

**Che. **Well, he should have some chocolate, at the very least.

**Luke. **I've already had some. Master Jinn gave me some. He gave it to all of us.

**Che. **Did he now? So we've finally got a Defense Against the Dark Side instructor who knows his remedies?

**Mothma. **Are you sure you feel all right, Skywalker?

**Luke. **Yes.

**Mothma. **Very well. Kindly wait outside while I have a quick word with Miss Organa about her course timetable. Then we can go down to the feast together.

_Exit all._


	15. A Word of Caution

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia, in the Great Hall._

**Leia. **O! We've missed the Sorting.

**Han. **What was that all about?

_Enter Yoda._

**Yoda. **Welcome! Welcome to another year at the Jedi Temple. now, I'd like to say a few words before we all become befuddled by our excellent feast. First, I'm pleased to welcome Master Qui-Gon Jinn, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Side instructor. Good luck, Master!

_The Great Hall is filled with applause, especially from Luke, Han, Leia, Mara, and Wedge._

**Han. **_[aside to Luke] _Look at Vader!

_Enter Darth Vader, who glares at Qui-Gon with the utmost loathing._

**Yoda. **As some of you may know, Master Djinn Altis, our Animal Friendship instructor for many years, has decided to retire in order to spend more time with his remaining limbs. Fortunately, I'm delighted to announce that his place will be taken by none other than our own Chewbacca.

_Once more, the Great Hall is consumed with applause._

**Han. **We should have known. Who else would assign us a biting book?

**Yoda. **Finally, on a more disquieting note, at the request of the Galactic Republic, the Jedi Temple will play host to the Tuskens of Kessel, until such time as Obi-Wan Kenobi is captured. The Tuskens will be placed at every entance to the grounds. Now, whilst I've been assured their presence will not disrupt our day-to-day activities, a word of caution: it is not in the nature of a Tusken to be forgiving. Therefore, I must warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. But you know, happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.

_Exit all._


	16. Leia's Timetable

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia, in the Great Hall._

_Enter Galen Marek, Cornelius Evazan, Ponda Baba, and Asajj Ventress._

_All Kuns laugfh._

**Leia. **Ignore them, Luke. It's not worth it.

**Ventress. **Hey, Skywalker! Skywalker! The Tuskens are coming, Skywalker. O!

_Enter Jacen and Ben._

**Ben. **_[passes out pieces of durasheet] _New third year course timetables. What's up with you, Luke?

**Han. **Marek.

_Marek pretends to faint with terror._

**Ben. **That little git. He wasn't nearly so cocky last night when the Tuskens were down at our end of the ship. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Jacen?

**Jacen. **Nearly wet himself.

**Ben. **I wasn't too happy myself. They're horrible things, those Tuskens.

**Jacen. **They sort of freeze your insides, don't they?

**Luke. **You didn't pass out, though, did you?

**Ben. **Forget it, Luke. Dad had to go out to Kessel one time, remember, Jacen? And he said it was the worst planet he'd ever been. he came back all weak and shaking. They suck the happiness out of a place, Tuskens. Most of the prisoners go mad in there.

**Jacen. **Anyway, we'll see how cocky Marek looks after our first Smashball match. Revan versus Kun, first game of the season, remember?

**Leia. **_[examines timetable] _O! We're starting some new subjects today.

**Han. **_[glances at Leia's timetable] _Leia. They've messed up your timetable. Look. they've got you down for at least ten classes a day. There isn't enough _time_.

**Leia. **I'll manage. I fixed it up with Senator Mothma.

**Han. **But look. See this morning? Nine hundred hours: Divination. And underneath, nine hundred hours: Mundane Studies. _And _Procognition - _nine hundred hours_. You'd have to be in three classes at once.

**Leia. **Don't be silly, Han. How can anyone be in three classses at once?

**Han. **But . . .

**Leia. **Pass the frill syrup.

**Han. **Leia . . .

**Leia. **Han. What's it to you if my timetable is a bit full? I told you, I've fixed it all with Senator Mothma.

_Enter Chewbacca._

**Chewbacca. **All right? You're in my first ever lesson. Right after lunch! I've been up since oh five hundred, getting everything ready. I hope it's okay. Me - a teacher? Honestly.

_Exit Chewbacca._

**Han. **I wonder what he's been getting ready.

_Exit all._


	17. Shatterpoint

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia, in the Great Hall._

**Han. **_[checks his chrono] _We'd better go. Divination is at the top of the Tranquility Spire. It will take us ten minutes to get there.

_Luke, Han, and Leia climb the seven long staircases of the Jedi temple._

_[panting] _There has got to be a shortcut.

**Leia. **I think it's this way.

**Han. **It can't be. That's south. You can see a bit of the Mon Calamarian Ocean outside the window.

_Enter Gantoris, the portrait of a dark-haired Knight who rides a gualaar._

**Gantoris. **What villains are these that trespass upon my lands? Who dares to challenge Sir Gantoris?

_Gantoris removes a amethyst sword from its scabbard and aims it at the three children._

Back, you scurvy braggarts. You rogues!

**Luke. **Listen. We're looking for the Tranquility Spire. You don't know the way, do you?

**Gantoris. **A quest! Come! Follow me, dear friends. And we shall find our goal, or else shall perish bravely in the charge.

_Gantoris tries to mount his gualaar but fails._

On foot then, good sirs and gentle lady. Onward!

_As Luke, Han, and Leia walk, Gantoris follows them via the holographs along the walls._

_They finally reach the entrance to the Tranquility Spire._

Farewell, comrades. If ever you are in need of noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Gantoris.

**Han. **Yeah. We'll call you, if we ever need someone mental.

_Exit Gantoris._

_Luke, Han, and Leia approach the spire with plaque pinned underneath._

**Luke. **"Roan Shryne, Master of Divination." How are we supposed to get up there?

_A ladder falls from the ceiling._

**Han. **_[grins] _After you.

_Luke, Han, and Leia enter Roan Shryne's classroom._

Where is he?

_Enter Roan Shryne, a blue-eyed Jedi Master with brown hair and robes._

**Shryne. **Welcome, my children. In this room, you shall explore the mysterious art of divination. In this room, you shall learn whether you possess the Sight. Hello. I am Master Shryne, and together we shall cast ourselves into the future. But know this: one either has the Gift or not. It cannot be devined from a book waiting to be read. _[to Wedge] _You, boy. Is your grandmother quite well?

**Wedge. **I . . . I think so.

**Shryne. **I wouldn't be so sure of that. This term, we shall be focusing on Shatterpoint, which is the art of reading tea leaves. Next term, we shall progress into _daen nosi. __[to Winter] _By the way, my dear, beware a brown-haired man.

_Winter exchanges looks with Han._

In the second term, we shall progress to Force visions - if we have finished with darksight, that is. Unfortunately, classes will be interrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever. _[to Bria] _I wonder, my dear, if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?

_Bria passes Shryne the teapot._

Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are dreading - it will happen on Benduday the sixteenth of October.

_Bria trembles._

Now I want you to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup thrice with the left hand. Then turn the cup upside down, and wait for the last of the tea to drain away. Then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of _Vision of the Future_. I shall move among you, helping and instructing. _[to Wedge] _O! And dear. After you've dropped your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue-patterned ones? i'm rather attached to the pink.

_Almost as soon as he picks up a cup, Wedge drop it._

One of the blue ones, then, dear, if you wouldn't mind. Thank you.

_Luke and Han fill their cups and drink._

_Luke and Han swap cups._

**Han. **All right. What do you see in mine?

**Luke. **A lot of soggy brown stuff.

**Shryne. **Broaden your minds, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane.

**Luke. **You've got a sort of wonky cross. That's trials and suffering. And that could be the sun, and that's happiness. so you're going to suffer, but you're going to be happy about it.

**Han. **You need your Inner Eye tested if you ask me. My turn. _[peers into Luke's cup] _There's a blob a bit like a bowler hat. maybe you're going to work for the Galactic Republic. _[turns cup] _But this way, it looks more like an acorn. What's that? _[checks the book] _"A windfall, unexpected fortune." Excellent. Maybe you can lend me some. _[turns cup] _and there's a thing here; it looks like an animal. It looks like a dewback. . . . no, a kybuck . . .

_Luke laughs._

_Shryne approaches._

**Shryne. **Let me see that, my dear. _[glances at the cup] _The hawk-bat. You have a deadly enemy.

**Leia. **But everyone knows that.

_Shryne stares at Leia._

Well, they do. Everyone knows about Luke and You-Know-Who.

_Luke and Han stare at Leia._

**Shryne. **The club . . . an attack. Dear, dear. This is not a happy cup.

**Han. **I thought that was a bowler hat.

**Shryne. **The skull. There's danger in your path, my dear.

_Shryne turns the cup and gasps with terror._

_Shryne falls into his chair._

**Lando. **What is it, Master?

**Shryne. **_[to Luke] _My dear. You have the Vua'sa.

**Luke. **The what?

_Lando shrugs, and Bria looks puzzled._

**Shryne. **The Vua'sa. Taking the form of a giant spectral vornskr, it'sd among the darkest omens in our galaxy, an omen of death.

_Bria clasps her hand to her mouth._

**Leia. **I don't think it looks like a Vua'sa.

**Shryne. **You'll forgive my saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you, very little receptivity to the resonances of the future.

**Nien. **_[squints eyes] _It looks like a Vua'sa if you do this. _[tilts head] _But from here, it looks more like a bordok.

**Luke. **Are you all finished, deciding whether or not I'm going to die?

**Shryne. **I think we'll leave the lesson here for today. Please pack away your things. Until we meet again, fair fortune be yours. _[to Wedge] _O! And dear. You'll be late next time, so min you work extra hard to catch up.

_Exit all._


	18. Mothma's Advice

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia, among the other third years in Mon Mothma's classroom._

_Enter Mon Mothma._

_The third years shoot Luke furtive glances every few seconds._

_Mothma transforms into a saber cat and back again._

**Mothma. **Really, what has gotten into all of you today? Not that it matters, but that's the first time mytransformation has not gotten an applause from the class.

_Leia raises her hand._

**Leia. **Please, Senator, we've just had our first Divination class . . .

**Mothma. **_[frowns] _Of course. No need to say anymore, Miss Organa. Tell me, which of you will be dying this season?

**Luke. **Me.

**Mothma. **I see. Then you should know, Skywalker, that Roan Shryne has predicted the death of one student a year since he arrived at this Temple. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues . . . _[flares her nostril] _Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of the Force. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Master Shryne . . . _[pauses, then glances at Luke] _You look in excellent health to me, Skywalker, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in.

_Leia laughs._

_Luke looks relieved._

_Han looks worried._

**Bria. **_[whispers] _But what about Wedge's cup?

_Exit all but Luke, Han, and Leia._

**Leia. **Han. Cheer up. You heard what Senator Mothma said.

**Han. **Luke. You _haven't _seen a great black vornskr anywhere, have you?

**Luke. **Yeah, I have. I saw one the night I left the Larses.

_Han drops his fork in shock._

**Leia. **Probably a stray.

**Han. **Leia. If Luke's see a Vua'sa, that's . . . that's bad. My aunt Tiion saw one and . . . and she died twenty-five hours later.

**Leia. **Coincidence.

**Han. **_[angry] _You don't know what you're talking about. vua'sas scare the living daylights out of most Force-wielders.

**Leia. **There you are, then. They see the Vua'sa and die of fright. The Vua'sa's not an omen - it's the cause of death. And Luke's still with us because he's not stupid enough to see one and think, "Right, well, I better go and kick the bucket, then."

_Han mouths wordlessly._

If you ask me, Divination is a very woolly discipline. Now, Precognition . . . that's a fascinating subject.

_Exit Leia._

**Han. **What is she talking about? She hasn't been to a Precognition class yet.

_Exit all._


	19. Talons

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia, outside._

_Luke, Han, and Leia approach Chewbacca's wroshyr treehouse._

_Enter third year Revans and Kuns._

_Enter Chewbacca._

**Chewbacca. **Come on now. I've got a real treat for you today. Great lesson coming up! Everybody here? All right. Follow me.

_The Revans and the Kuns follow Chewbacca to the pumpkin patch, outside a paddock._

Gather around. Find yourselves a spot. Now first thing you'll want to do is open your books . . .

**Marek. **Exactly how do we do that?

**Chewbacca. **You just stroke the spine, of course.

_All third years remove their copies of _The Creation of Monsters_ and stroke the spine._

_The books fall open._

**Marek. **_[sarcastic] _Oh, we're supposed to stroke them.

**Chewbacca. **I . . . I thought they were funny.

**Marek. **Oh, tremendously funny. Really witty, giving us books that try to rip our hands off. Blast, this place has gone to the vornskrs. Wait until my father hears that they've got this oaf teaching classes. . . .

**Luke. **_[aside, to Marek] _Shut up, Marek.

**Marek. **_[steps back] _Tusken! Tusken!

_The Kuns laugh._

_Marek, Evazan, Baba, and Ventress wrap their faces in their robes, like Tuskens._

**All. **O! O!

_Enter Varactyls, including Boga - a giant lizard with green scales, purple feathers, and orange eyes._

**Bria. **O!

**Chewbacca. **Varactyls. Aren't they beautiful? Now the first thing you want to know about Varactyls is that they're very easily offended. You do not want to insult a varactyl, because it might be the last thing you ever do.

_Marek, Evazan, and Baba mutter conspiratorially, ignoring Chewbacca._

You always wait for the varactyl to make the first move. It's polite, see? You walk toward him, and you bow, and you wait. If he bows back, you're allowed to touch him. If he doesn't bow, then get away quickly, because those talons are sharp. All right. Who wants to say hello?

_All exchange looks._

**Luke. **I'll do it.

**Chewbacca. **Good man, Luke. Good man.

**Bria. **No, Luke. Remember your shatterpoint.

_Luke approaches the varactyls._

**Chewbacca. **Good man. Let's see how you get on with Boga.

_Chewbacca unties Boga from the other varactyls._

Easy now, Luke. You've got eye contact. Now try not to blink. Varactyls don't trust you if you blink too much.

_Luke and Boga maintain eye contact, blue into orange._

That's it, Luke. That's it. Now bow.

_Still maintaining eye contact, Luke bows._

_Boga stares at Luke, motionless._

Back away, Luke. Back away.

_Luke backs away._

_Boga bows._

Well done, Luke. Go on. Give her a pat.

_Luke pats Boga's beak._

Well done, Luke. Well done. Now I think she might let you ride her now.

**Luke. **What? No. Wait. Chewie, I . . .

**Chewbacca. **You climb up here, just behind the leg joint. And mind you don't pull out any of her feathers. She won't like that.

_Luke boards Boga's back._

_Boga begins bouncing and leaping in the air, with Luke on his back, even climbing up steep surfaces._

**Luke. **Whoa! O!

_Chewbacca's whistle blows._

_Boga returns to the paddock, and Luke stumbles off._

**Chewbacca. **Well done, Luke. And well done, Boga.

_Encouraged by Luke's success, other students tend to the varactyls, using the same protocols._

_[aside, to Luke] _How am I doing on my first day?

**Luke. **Brilliant, Master.

_Marek works with Boga._

**Marek. **This is so easy. I knew it must have been, if Skywalker could do it. You're not dangerous at all, are you, you great ugly brute?

_Boga attacks, clawing at Marek with her talons._

_Marek screams._

**Chewbacca. **Marek. Marek! Boga, no.

_The Wookiee steps in between Marek and Boga._

O! Boga. Boga!

_Chewbacca tosses a dead gorg, which Boga chases after._

Go on, you silly creature.

**Marek. **_[screaming] _It's killed me. It's killed me.

**Chewbacca. **Marek. It's just a scratch.

**Leia. **Chewie. He has to be taken to the medcenter.

**Chewbacca. **Right. I'm the Master. I'll do it.

_Chewbacca lifts up Marek and carries him away._

**Marek. **O! You're going to regret this, you and your bloody lizard.

**Chewbacca. **Class dismissed.

_Exit Chewbacca and Marek._

_The other students march up to the Temple._

**Ventress. **They should fire him straight away.

**Lando. **It's Marek's fault.

_Evazan and Baba flex their muscles threateningly._

**Ventress. **I'm going to see if he's okay.

_Exit all but Luke, Han, and Leia._

**Leia. **Do you think he'll be all right?

**Luke. **Of course he will. Master Che can mend wounds in about a second.

**Han. **That was a really bad thing to happen in Chewie's first class, though. Trust Marek to mess things up for him.

_Luke, Han, and Leia arrive in the Great Hall._

_Chewbacca is absent._

**Leia. **They _wouldn't _fire him, would they?

**Han. **They'd better not. _[glances over at the Kuns] _Well, you can't say this wasn't an interesting first day.

_Exit all._


	20. Chewbacca's Indignation

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia, in Revan Tower._

**Luke. **_[glances outside] _There's a light on in Chewie's window.

**Han. **_[glances at chrono] _If we hurry, we can go down and see him. It's quite early.

**Leia. **I don't know.

**Luke. **I'm allowed to walk across the _grounds_. Obi-Wan Kenobi hasn't got past the Tuskens yet.

_Luke, Han, and Leia head down to Chewbacca's wroshyr treehouse._

_Enter Chewbacca._

**Chewbacca. **Come in.

_Luke, Han, and Leia enter._

_Enter Drang._

I expect it's a record. I don't reckon they've had a Master who only lasted one planetary rotation before.

**Leia. **You haven't been fired?

**Chewbacca. **Not yet. But it's only a matter of time. After Marek . . .

**Han. **How is he? It wasn't serious, was it?

**Chewbacca. **Master Che fixed him best she could. But he's saying it's still agony, covered in bandages, moaning. . . .

**Luke. **He's lying. Master Che can mend anything. She regrew half my bones last season. Trust Marek to milk it for all it's worth.

**Chewbacca. **The High Council has been told, of course. They reckon I started too big. I should have left varactyls for later, done granite slugs or something. I just thought it would make a good first lesson. It's all my fault.

**Leia. **It's all _Marek's _fault, Chewie.

**Luke. **We're witnesses. You said varactyls attack, if you insult them. It's Marek's problem that he wasn't listening. We'll tell Yoda what really happened.

**Han. **Yeah. Don't worry, Chewie. We'll back you up.

_Chewbacca pulls Luke and Han into a Wookiee hug._

**Leia. **I think you've had enough, Chewie.

**Chewbacca. **Ar, maybe she's right.

_Leia takes the tankard away._

_Chewbacca splashes his face with water, sobering up._

That's better. Listen. It was good of you to come and see me, and I really . . .

_Chewbacca zeroes in on Luke, realization dawning in his blue eyes._

What do you think you're doing, eh? You're not to go wandering around after dark, Luke! And you two, letting him!

_Chewbacca grabs Luke and pulls him toward the door._

Come on! I'm taking you all back up to the Temple. And don't let me catch you, walking down to see me after dark again. I'm not worth that.

_Exit all._


	21. Revenge

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia, in Darth Vader's dungeons, with the other Revans and Kuns._

_Enter Darth Vader._

_The class begins, brewing shrinkroot potion._

_Enter Galen Marek, stumbling in halfway through the class, his arm in a sling._

**Ventress. **Does it hurt terribly, Galen?

**Marek.** It comes and it goes. I should consider myself lucky. According to Master Che, I could have lost my arm.

_Marek smirks at Evazan and Baba, behind Ventress's back._

**Han. **Listen to the idiot. He's really laying it on thick, isn't he?

**Luke. **Well, at least Chewie didn't get fired.

**Leia. **Yes. But I heard Galen's father is furious.

**Vader. **Settle down. Settle down.

_Marek sits near Luke and Han._

**Marek. **Sir. I'll need help cutting up this shrinkroot, because of my arm.

**Vader. **Solo. Cut up Marek's root for him.

**Han. **There's nothing wrong with your arm.

**Marek. **Solo. You heard Lord Vader. Cut up this root.

_Han cuts the shrinkroot into jagged, uneven slices._

Lord. Solo's mangling my shrinkroot.

**Vader. **Solo. Switch roots with Marek.

_Han scowls and trades his evenly cut roots for Marek's mangled ones._

_Han is forced to repair the mangles shrinkroot._

**Marek. **And sir. I'll need my syren skinned.

**Vader. **Skywalker. You can skin Marek's syren.

_Luke grudgingly skins Marek's Kashyyyk Syren._

**Marek. **Seen your pal Chewbacca lately?

**Han. **None of your business.

**Marek. **I'm afraid he won't be a Master much longer. Father's not very happy with my injury . . .

**Han. **Keep talking, Marek, and I'll give you a real injury.

**Marek. **He's complained to the Jedi Council _and _to the Republic Senate. Father's got a lot of influence, you know. And a lasting injury like this . . . _[sighs theatrically] _Who know if my arm will ever be the same again?

**Luke. **So that's why you're putting it on, to get Chewie fired.

**Marek. **Partially. But there are other benefits, too. Solo. Slice my conduit worms for me.

_A few seats away, Wedge has made a mess of his potion, something Vader does not fail to notice._

**Vader. **Orange, Antilles.

_Vader scoops up the potion, so everyone can see._

Orange. Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick smell of yours? Didn't you hear me say quite clearly, that only one rat spleen was needed? Didn't I state plainly that a dash of leech juice would suffice? What do I have to do to make you understand, Antilles?

**Leia. **Please, sir. I could help Wedge put it right . . .

**Vader. **I don't remember asking you to show off, Miss Organa. Antilles. At the end of this lesson, we will feed a few drops of this potion to your droid and see what happens. Perhaps it would encourage you to do it properly.

_Vader sweeps away._

**Wedge. **_[aside, to Leia] _Help me.

**Nien. **He's been sighted. He's been sighted.

**Luke. **Who?

**Nien. **Obi-Wan Kenobi.

**Han. **Where?

**Nien. **Not too far from here. It was on the HoloNet this morning. You don't think he'll come to the Temple, do you?

**Lando. **With Tuskens at every entrance?

**Nien. **Tuskens? He's already slipped by them once, hasn't he? Who's to say he can't do it again?

**Marek. **_[to Luke] _That's right. Kenobi could be anywhere. It's like trying to catch smoke, like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands. Thinking of taking him on singlehanded, Skywalker?

**Luke. **That's right.

**Marek. **Of course, if it was me, I'd have done something before now. I wouldn't be staying in the Temple like a good boy. I'd be out there, looking for him.

**Han. **What are you talking about, Marek?

**Marek. **Don't you _know_, Skywalker?

**Luke. **Know what?

**Marek. **_[laughs] _Maybe you'd rather not risk your neck. Want to leave to the Tuskens, do you? But if it were me, I'd want revenge. I'd hunt him down myself.

**Luke. **_What are you talking about?_

**Vader. **You should have finished adding your ingredients by now. This potion needs to stew before it can be drunk, so clear away while it simmers. And then we'll test Antilles's.

_The third years pack away their things and step away from their cauldrons._

**Luke. **_[to Han] _What did Marek mean? Why would I want revenge on Kenobi? He hasn't done anything to me yet.

**Han. **He's making it up, trying to make you do something stupid.

_Vader walks over to Wedge's cauldron._

**Vader. **Everyone gather around and watch what happens to Antilles's droid. If he has managed to produce a shrinkroot potion, it will shrink. If, as I don't doubt, he has done it wrong, the droid will likely be destroyed.

_The students gather around, as Vader takes Gate in his gloved hands - the Kuns excited, the Revans fearful._

_Vader feeds Gate the potion._

_Gate shrinks._

_The Revans applaud._

_Vader feeds Gate a growth formula._

_Gate returns to his regular size._

Five points from Revan. I told you not to help him, Miss Organa. Class dismissed.

_Exit all but Luke and Han._

**Han. **Five points from Revan, because the potion was all right! Why didn't you lie, Leia? You should have said Wedge did it all by himself. _[notices Leia's absence] _Where is she?

_Luke notices Leia's absence._

She was right behind us.

_Enter Leia, slipping the Orb of Passage beneath her robes._

How did you do that?

**Leia. **What?

**Han. **One moment, you were right behind us. The next moment, you were back at the bottom of the stairs again.

**Leia. **What? O! I had to go back and get something. Oh, no!

_A seam splits in Leia's overloaded bag._

**Han. **Why are you carrying all of these with you?

**Leia. **You know how many subjects I'm taking. Couldn't hold these for me, could you?

**Han. **But . . . you haven't got any of these subjects today. It's only Defense Against the Dark Side this afternoon.

**Leia. **Oh, yes. I hope there's something good for lunch. I'm starving.

_Exit Leia._

**Han. **Do you get the feeling Leia's not telling us something?

_Exit Han and Leia._


	22. The Gurlanin in the Wardrobe

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia, in Qui-Gon Jinn's classroom, among the other Revan third years._

_Enter Qui-Gon Jinn._

**Qui-Gon. **Good afternoon. Would you please put all of your books back in your bag? Today will be a practical lesson. You will need only your lightsabers.

_The third years exchange looks._

Right then. If you'd follow me.

_Qui-Gon leads the third years out of the classroom._

_Enter PROXY, stuffing chewing gum in the nearest keyhole._

**PROXY. **_[singing] _Loony, loopy Jinn. Loony, loopy Jinn. Loony, loopy . . .

**Qui-Gon. **_[smiles] _I'd take that gum out of the keyhole, if I were you, PROXY. Master Jurokk won't be able to get to his brooms.

_PROXY ignores him._

_Qui-Gon sighs and removes his lightsaber._

This is a useful little spell. Please watch closely.

_Using the Force, Qui-Gon telekineses the gum from the keyhole and up PROXY's nostril._

_[curses]_

_Exit PROXY._

**Lando. **Cool, sir.

**Qui-Gon. **Thank you, Lando. Shall we proceed?

_Qui-Gon approaches the High Council Chambers._

Inside, please.

_Enter Darth Vader, alone in the chambers._

**Vader. **Leave it open, Jinn. I'd rather not witness this.

_Vader strides toward the door, then turns back._

Perhaps no one has warned you, Jinn, but this class includes Wedge Antilles. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult, not unless Miss Organa is hissing instructions in his ear.

_Wedge blushes._

**Qui-Gon. **I was hoping Wedge would assist me with the first stage of the operation. And I am sure he will perform it admirably.

_Wedge's face turns more scarlet._

_Vader sneers._

_Exit Vader, shutting the door behind him._

_Qui-Gon leads the class to an abandoned wardrobe, which is rocking back and forth._

There's nothing to worry about. That's a Gurlanin in there.

_Several students exchange anxious looks._

Gurlanins like dark and enclosed spaces - wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks. I've even seen one that lodged itself into a grandfather chronometer. _This _one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the Grand Master if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice. Now, can anyone tell me what a Gurlanin looks like?

_Leia raised her hand._

**Leia. **No one knows. Gurlanins are shapeshifters. They take the shape of whatever a particular person fears the most, That's what makes them so . . .

**Qui-Gon. **So terrifying. I couldn't have put it better myself. So the Gurlanin sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the opposite end of the door. As soon as I open the door, the Gurlanin will become whatever each of us most fears - which means that we have a huge advantage over the Gurlanin before we begin. Have you spotted it, Luke?

**Luke. **Er, because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape to become?

**Qui-Gon. **Precisely. It's always best to have company when dealing with a Gurlanin. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a taozin? I once saw a Gurlanin make that very mistake - tried to frighten to beings at once and became half a taozin - not remotely frightening. Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a Gurlanin. But the charm alone is not enough. What really finishes a Gurlanin off is _laughter_. You need to force it into a shape you find truly amusing. This is where you come in, Wedge.

_Wedge walks forward, shaking._

Wedge. What frightens you most of all?

**Wedge. **_[mutters] _Lord Vader.

**Qui-Gon. **Sorry?

**Wedge. **Lord Vader.

_All but Qui-Gon and Wedge laugh._

**Qui-Gon. **Lord Vader. Yes. He frightens us all. And I believe you live with your grandmother?

**Wedge. **Yes. But I don't want the Gurlanin to turn into her either.

**Qui-Gon. **No. You misunderstand me. It won't. I want you to picture her clothes, only her clothes, very clearly in your mind.

**Wedge. **_[startled] _Well, always the same hat, a tall one with a stuffed carrion spat on top. And a long dress, green normally, and sometimes a nerf-fur scarf.

**Qui-Gon. **And a handbag?

**Wedge. **A red one.

**Qui-Gon. **Now when I open that wardrobe, here's what I want you to do: Imagine Lord Vader in your grandmother's clothes.

_All laugh._

_The Gurlanin shakes in protest._

If Wedge is successful, the Gurlanin should shift his attention to each of us in turn. I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force to be comical.

**Luke. **_[aside] _My first thought is Lord Sidious, a Sidious returned to full strength. But before I can even think of ways to counteract a Gurlanin Sidious, a horrible image forms in my mind. But how can one make a Tusken less terrifying.

**Han. **_[mutters] _Take its legs off.

**Qui-Gon. **Everybody ready?

**All. **_[comments of assent]_

**Qui-Gon. **Wedge. We're going to back away, let you have a clear field. I'll call the next person forward. Everyone back now, so Wedge can get a clear shot.

_The third years form a queue._

_Wedge steps forward, lightsaber raised._

Lightsaber at the ready. One . . . two . . . _three_!

_Enter Gurlanin, disguised as Darth Vader - over two meters tall, with red eyes and black metallic helmet and armor, its breath hissing through the filter._

Think, Wedge. Think.

**Wedge. **_[mutters incantation and waves lightsaber]_

_The Gurlanin becomes Vader in Syal Antilles's clothes - pale, bald, scarred face with a tall carrion-clad hat and a green dress, its eyes blue and watery._

_All laugh._

**Qui-Gon. **_[laughs] _Wonderful, Wedge. Wonderful. Incredible! Okay! To the back now, Wedge. Winter, next!

_Enter Winter, lightsaber raised._

_The Gurlanin assumes the shape of an insane Sith zombie._

**Winter. **_[mutters incantation and waves lightsaber]_

_The Gurlanin unravels and trips._

_All laugh._

**Qui-Gon. **Nien.

_Enter Nien Nunb, lightsaber raised._

_The Gurlanin assumes the shape of a Diathim, a beautiful woman with glowing white skin, six wings, and a yellow aura._

_The Gurlanin screams like a Diathim._

**Nien. **_[mutters incantation and waves lightsaber]_

_The Gurlanin clutches its throat, its voice gone._

_All laugh._

_Enter Bria Tharen, her lightsaber raised._

_The Gurlanin becomes a two-meter womp rat from Tatooine._

_Enter Sheltay Retrac, a brunette in white robes, lightsaber raised._

_The Gurlanin assumes the form of an exogorth, a kilometer-long silicon-based serpentine creature._

_Enter Kenth Hamner, a male human with receding gray hair, lightsaber raised._

_The Gurlanin becomes a bloody eyeball._

**Qui-Gon. **It's confused. We're getting there. Lando.

_Enter Lando, lightsaber raised._

_The Gurlanin, disguised as a severed hand, creeps along the floor like a crustacean._

**Lando. **_[mutters incantation and waves lightsaber]_

_The Gurlanin is caught in rat trap._

_All laugh._

**Qui-Gon. **Excellent. Next - Han!

_Han steps forward, lightsaber raised._

Concentrate. Face your fear. Be brave.

_The Gurlanin transforms into a giant eight-legged arachnid._

**Han. **O!

**Qui-Gon. **Lightsaber at the ready, Han. Lightsaber at the ready.

**Han. **_[mutters incantation and waves lightsaber]_

_The legs of the Gurlanin vanish._

_All laugh._

_Luke steps forward, lightsaber raised._

**Qui-Gon.** _[leaps in front of the Gurlanin] _Here!

_The Gurlanin immediately assumes the shape of a full moon._

_[mutters incantation and waves lightsaber] _Forward, Wedge! Finish him off!

_Wedge steps forward._

_The Gurlanin again takes on the shape of Lord Darth Vader._

**Wedge. **_[mutters incantation and waves lightsaber]_

_The Gurlanin, disguised as an unmasked Vader, immediately dons Syal Antilles's clothes._

_All laugh._

_The Gurlanin explodes._

**Qui-Gon. **Excellent, Wedge. Well done, everyone. Let me see . . . five points to Revan for every being to tackle the Gurlanin, ten for Wedge because he did it twice. And five points each to Luke and Leia.

**Luke. **But I didn't do anything.

**Qui-Gon. **You and Leia answered my questions correctly at the start of the class, Luke. Ah, that's enough for today. Homework, kindly read the chapter on Gurlanins and summarize it for me, to be handed in on Primeday. Thank you. Sorry, sorry. You can have only so much of a good thing.

_Exit Qui-Gon._

**Luke. **_[aside] _Master Jinn deliberately stopped me from facing the Gurlanin. Why? Is it because he saw me collapse on the ship and thinks I'm not up to much? Did he think I would pass out again?

**Nien. **Did you see me take that Diathim?

**Lando. **And the hand!

**Wedge. **And Vader in that hat!

**Winter. **And my zombie!

**Bria. **I wonder why Master Jinn is frightened of crystal balls?

**Han. **That's the best Defense Against the Dark Side lesson we've ever had.

**Leia. **He seems like a very good Master. But I wish I could have had a turn at the Gurlanin.

**Han. **_[smirks] _What would it have been for you, a piece of homework that only got nine out of ten?

_Exit all._


	23. A Nexu Vendetta

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Jacen, Ben, Tycho Celchu, Tenel Ka Djo, Lowbacca, and Tahiri Veila, in the changing room._

**Tycho. **This is our last chance - _my _last chance - to win the Smashball Cup. I'll be leaving at the end of this season. I'll never get another shot at it. Revan hasn't won for seven years now. Okay, so we've had the worst luck in the galaxy - injuries, then the tournament's getting canceled last season. But we know we've got the best kriffing team in the whole Temple. We've got three _superb _chasers. _[indicates Tenel Ka, Lowbacca, and Tahiri] _We've got two _unbeatable _beaters. _[indicates Jacen and Ben]_

**Twins. **Stop it, Tycho. You're embarrassing us.

**Tycho. **And we have a seeker who has never failed to win us a match. And me.

**Ben. **We think you're very good too, Tycho.

**Jacen. **Spanking good keeper.

**Tycho. **The point is the Smashball Cup should have had our name on it these last two seasons. Ever since Luke joined the team, I've thought the thing was in the bag. But we haven't got it. And this season is the last year we'll finally get to see our names on it.

**Jacen. **Tycho. This season is our year.

**Tenel Ka. **We'll do it, Tycho.

**Luke. **Definitely.

_After a long training session, Luke returns to Revan Tower._

_Exit Tycho, Tenel Ka, Lowbacca, and Tahiri._

_Enter Han (with Viceroy) and Leia, among Revans crowding around the notice board._

What happened?

**Han. **First CoCo Town weekend, end of October, Halloween.

**Jacen. **Excellent. I need to visit Arakyd Industries. I'm nearly out of stink capsules.

**Leia. **Luke. I'm sure you'll be able to go next time. They're bound to catch Kenobi soon. He's been sighted once already.

**Han. **Kenobi's not fool enough to try anything in CoCo Town. Ask Mothma if you can go this time, Luke. The next one might not be for ages.

**Leia. **Han. Luke's supposed to stay in the Temple.

**Han. **He can't be the only one left behind. Ask Mothma. Go on, Luke.

**Luke. **Yeah. I think I will.

_Enter Anji, an dead arachne in her mouth._

**Han. **Does she have to eat that in front of us?

**Leia. **Clever Anji. Did you catch that all by yourself?

_Anji consumes the arachne, glaring at Han._

**Han. **Just keep him over there. I've got Viceroy asleep in my bag.

_Anji pounces on the bag._

O! Get off, you stupid animal!

_Han tries unsuccessfully to pull the bag from Anji's maw._

**Leia. **Han. Don't hurt her.

_Viceroy flies from the bag, running in the opposite direction._

_Anji chases after Viceroy._

**Han. **Catch that nexu!

_Ben lunges at Anji and misses._

_Viceroy hides in an old chest of drawers._

_Anji stops, clawing at the chest._

_Han and Leia rush over._

_Leia picks up Anji._

_Han picks up Viceroy._

Look at him. He's skin and bone. You keep that feline away from him.

**Leia. **Anji doesn't understand it's wrong. All felines chase rodents, Han.

**Han. **There's something funny about that animal. It heard my saying that Viceroy was in my bag.

**Leia. **O! What rubbish! Anji could _smell _him, Han. How else do you think . . . ?

**Han. **That nexu has got it in for Viceroy. And Viceroy was here first, _and _he's ill.

_Exit all. _


	24. Mon Mothma's Final Word

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia, in the greenhouses, among the other Revans and Suriks._

_Enter Yaddle._

**Leia. **_[to Han] _How's Viceroy?

**Han.** _[angry] _He's hiding at the bottom of my bed, shaking.

_In a rage, Han accidentally scatters lambent seeds, which immediately bloom._

**Yaddle. **Careful, Solo. Careful.

_Exit Yaddle and the Suriks._

_The Revans enter Mon Mothma's classroom._

_Bria cries, comforted by Winter, Lando, and Nien Nunb._

**Leia. **What's the matter, Bria?

**Winter. **She got a hololetter from home this morning. It's her rabbit, Pavik. He'd been killed by a Corellian sand panther.

**Leia. **Oh. I'm sorry, Bria.

**Bria. **_[sobs] _I should have known. You know what day it is?

**Leia. **Er . . .

**Bria.** _[sobs] _The sixteenth of October! "That thing you're dreading - it will happen on the sixteenth of October." Remember? She was right. She was right!

_All gather around Bria._

_Nien shakes his head._

**Leia. **You . . . you were dreading Pavik's getting killed by a Corellian sand panther?

**Bria. **Well, not necessarily by a _sand panther_. But I was obviously dreading his dying, wasn't I?

**Leia. **Oh. Was Pavik an _old _rabbit?

**Bria.** _[sobs] _N-no! H-he was only a baby!

**Leia. **But then, why would you dread his dying?

_Winter glares at Leia._

Well, look at it logically. I mean, Pavik didn't even die today, did he? Bria just got the news today.

_Bria wails._

And she can't have been dreading it, because it's come as such a shock.

**Han. **Don't mind Leia, Bria. She doesn't think other beings' familiars matter much.

_Enter Mon Mothma._

**Mothma. **As you are all in my House, you should hand your CoCo Town permission forms to me personally. Now remember, these visits to CoCo Town are a privilege. Should your behavior reflect poorly on the Temple in any way, that privilege shall not be extended again. _[to Wedge] _Master Antilles.

**Wedge. **Please, Senator. I think I've lost my . . .

**Mothma. **Your grandmother sent yours to me directly, Antilles. She seemed to feel it was safer. Well, that's all. You may leave.

_Exit all but Luke and Mothma._

Master Skywalker.

**Luke. **Senator. My aunt and uncle . . . er . . . forgot to sign my form.

**Mothma. **No permission form signed, no visiting the village. That's the rule.

**Luke. **But Senator. I thought if you signed it, then I could . . .

**Mothma. **But I can't. Only a parent or a guardian can sign. Since I am neither, it would be inappropriate. _[expression softens] _I'm sorry, Skywalker. That's my final word.

_Exit all._


	25. Luke and Qui-Gon

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia, in Revan Tower, among other Revans._

**Han. **There's always the feast. You know, the Halloween feast, in the evening.

**Luke. **Yeah. Great.

**Lando. **I could forge your uncle's signature, if you like, Luke.

**Luke. **It's no use. I've already told Senator Mothma that Uncle Owen didn't sign.

**Han. **What about the cloaking device?

**Leia. **That would be stupid. You heard Master Yoda; Tuskens are immune to them.

**Threepio. **They make a fuss about CoCo Town, but I assure you, Luke, it's not all it's cracked up to be. All right, Dex's Donuts is rather good, and Arakyd Industries is frankly dangerous. And yes, the Valley of the Jedi is always worth a visit. But other than that, you're not missing much.

**Luke. **_[sarcastic] _Thanks, Threepio.

**Threepio. **I'm glad I could be of assistance, Luke.

_Exit all but Luke, Han, and Leia._

**Leia. **We'll bring you a lot of sweets back from Dex's.

**Han. **Yeah. Loads.

**Luke. **Forget about it, guys. See you later.

_Exit Han and Leia._

_Enter Dak Ralter._

**Dak. **Luke. Luke. Hiya, Luke! Aren't you going to CoCo Town, Luke? Why not? Hey, you can come and sit with us, if you like, Luke?

**Luke. **Er, no. Thanks, Dak. I . . . I've got to go to the Archives, got to get some work done.

_Exit Dak._

_Luke leaves Revan Tower._

_Enter Jurokk._

**Jurokk. **What are you doing?

**Luke. **Nothing.

**Jurokk. **Nothing? A likely story! Sneaking around on your own . . . Why aren't you in CoCo Town, buying stink capsules and itching powder and crystal-worms like the rest of your nasty little friends?

_Luke shrugs._

Well, get back to your common room where you belong.

_Exit Jurokk._

_Luke climbs the stairs, headed for the droid hangar._

_Enter Qui-Gon._

**Qui-Gon. **Luke. What are you doing? Where are Han and Leia?

**Luke. **CoCo Town.

**Qui-Gon. **Ah. Why don't you come in? I've just taken delivery of a dinko for our next lesson.

_Luke and Qui-Gon enter Qui-Gon Jinn's quarters._

**Luke. **A what?

_Enter Dinko, a ruddy-colored reptilian scavenger, in a tank._

**Qui-Gon. **Water demon. We shouldn't have much difficulty with him, not after the monkey-lizards. The trick his to break his grip. You notice the abnormally long fingers? Strong, but very brittle.

_The dinko bares its teeth._

Cup of tea? I was just thinking of making one.

**Luke. **All right.

**Qui-Gon. **Sit down.

_Luke sits, as Qui-Gon prepares the tea._

I've only got tea bags, I'm afraid. But I daresay you've had enough with tea leaves?

**Luke. **How did you . . . ?

**Qui-Gon. **Senator Mothma told me. You're not worried, are you?

**Luke. **No.

**Qui-Gon. **Anything worrying you, Luke?

**Luke. **No. _[drinks tea] _Master. May I ask you something?

**Qui-Gon. **You want to know why I stopped you from facing that Gurlanin, Luke. I would have thought it would be obvious. I assumed it would take the shape of Lord Sidious.

**Luke. **I _did _think of Sidious at first. But then I remembered that night on the Jedi Cruiser . . . and the Tusken . . .

**Qui-Gon. **Well, I'm very impressed. That shows what you fear the most is fear itself. Very wise.

_Luke drinks tea._

So you've been thinking I didn't believe you capable of fighting the Gurlanin.

**Luke. **Well, yeah. Master Jinn. You know the Tuskens . . .

_There is a knock on the door._

**Qui-Gon. **Come in.

_Enter Darth Vader, carrying a goblet of bacta._

Ah, Darth. Thanks very much. Could you leave it here on the desk for me?

_Vader sets down the goblet, looking between Luke and Qui-Gon._

I was showing Luke my dinko.

**Vader. **Fascinating. You should drink that directly, Jinn.

**Qui-Gon. **Yes, yes. I will.

**Vader. **I made an entire cauldronful, if you need more.

**Qui-Gon. **I should probably take some again tomorrow. Thanks very much, Darth.

**Vader. **Not at all.

_Exit Vader._

**Qui-Gon. **Lord Vader has very kindly concocted a potion for me. I have never been much of a chemist and this one is particularly complex. _[sniffs] _It's a pity sugar makes it useless.

_Qui-Gon drinks._

**Luke. **Why . . . ?

**Qui-Gon. **I've been feeling a bit off-color. This potion is the only thing that helps. I am very lucky to be working alongside Lord Vader. There aren't many beings who up to making it.

_Qui-Gon drinks again._

**Luke. **Lord Vader's very interested in the dark side.

**Qui-Gon. **_[drinks] _Really?

**Luke. **Some beings reckon . . . some beings reckon he'd do anything to get the Defense Against the Dark Side job.

_Qui-Gon finishes his drink._

**Qui-Gon. **Disgusting. Well, Luke. I'd better get back to work. I'll see you at the feast later.

**Luke. **Right.

_Exit all. _


	26. Flight of Kara

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia, in the Great Hall._

_Han and Leia drop sweets on Luke's lap._

**Han. **Here you go. We got as much as we could carry.

**Luke. **Thanks. What's CoCo Town like? Where did you go?

**Han. **Oh, we went about everywhere - Sienar Systems, the galactic supply department; Arakyd Industries; Dex's Diner, for foaming mugs of juri juice; Praesitlyn, home of the Intergalactic Communications Center . . .

**Leia. **O! The Communications Center, Luke! About two hundred astromech droids, all sitting on shelves, all color-coded depending on the speed of the droid.

**Han. **Dex's Donuts has got a new kind of fudge. They were giving out free samples. There's a bit. Look.

**Leia. **We think we saw a Phlog, honestly. They get all sorts at Dex's Diner.

**Han. **I wish we could have brought you some juri juice. It really warms you up.

**Leia. **What did you do? Did you get any work done?

**Luke. **No. Jinn made me a cup of tea in his quarters. And then Vader came in. He had brewed a potion for Jinn, apparently for his health . . .

**Han. **And Jinn _drank_ it? Is he mad?

**Leia. **But if he . . . if he was trying to . . . to poison Jinn, he wouldn't have done it in front of Luke.

**Luke. **Yeah. Maybe.

_As Luke, Han, and Leia eat, they notice a perfectly healthy Qui-Gon, talking animatedly with Sio Bibble._

_Enter Canderous Ordo, reenacting his own execution._

_Exit Canderous._

_Exit all but Revans._

_The Revans head up to Revan Tower, lined up in front of Kara's holograph._

**Luke. **What's going on?

**Han. **Wedge has probably forgotten the password or something.

**Wedge. **Hey!

**Han. **Oh, you're there.

_Enter Threepio._

**Threepio. **Let me through, please. What's the holdup here? You can't all have forgotten the password. Excuse me. I'm Head Boy.

_Threepio freezes and stares at the holograph of Kara._

Get back, all of you. No one is to enter this dormitory until it has been fully searched

_Enter Mara._

**Mara. **What's going on?

_Enter Yoda and Jurokk._

**Jurokk. **Make way. Make way.

**Threepio. **The Grand Master's here.

**Jurokk. **Come on. Move!

**Threepio. **You heard, move.

_The Revans back away._

_It becomes clear that Kara is gone._

**Yoda. **Master Jurokk. Round up the ghosts. Tell them to search every painting in the Temple for Kara.

_Enter PROXY._

**PROXY. **_[laughs] _You'll be lucky.

**Yoda. **What do you mean, PROXY?

**PROXY. **Ashamed, Jedi Grand Master, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. I saw her running through the landscape on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between trees, crying something dreadful. Poor thing.

**Yoda. **Did she say who did it?

**PROXY. **Oh, yes, Grand Master. He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see. Nasty temper he's got, that Obi-Wan Kenobi.

_Exit all._


	27. Vader's Suspicions

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter all Jedi, in the Great Hall._

**Yoda. **The Masters and I need to conduct a thorough search of the Temple. I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the Great Hall, and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. _[to Threepio] _Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately. Send word with one of the ghosts.

_Yoda starts to leave, then turns back._

Oh, yes. You'll be needing . . .

_Yoda waves the Kaiburr Crystal and sleeping bags materialize._

_Exit all but students._

**Threepio. **Everyone into their sleeping bags. Come on now. No more talking. Lights out in ten minutes.

**Han. **_[to Luke and Leia] _Come on.

_Luke, Han, and Leia each grab sleeping bags and drag them in a corner._

**Leia. **Do you think Kenobi's still in the Temple?

**Han. **Yoda obviously thinks he might be.

**Leia. **It's lucky he picked tonight, you know. The one night we weren't in the Tower . . .

**Han. **I reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run. He probably didn't realize it was Halloween. Otherwise he'd have come bursting in here.

**All. **But how did he get in?

**Mirax. **Maybe he knows how to Force Travel.

**Biggs. **Disguised himself, probably.

**Lando. **He could have flown in.

**Leia. **Honestly, am I the _only _sentient who's ever read _The Jedi Path_?

**Han. **Probably. Why?

**Leia. **Because the Temple is protected by more than _walls_, you know. There are all sorts of enchantments on it, to stop beings' entering through stealth. You can't just Force Travel in here. And I'd like to see the disguise that could fool those Tuskens. They're guarding every single entrance to the grounds. They'd have seen him fly in, too. And Jurokk knows all the secret passages. They'll have them covered.

**Threepio. **The lights are going out now. I want everyone in their sleeping bags. And no more talking.

_The lights turn out._

_Most Jedi students fall asleep; Luke lays awake._

_Enter Yoda, Jurokk, Vodo Siosk-Baas, and Darth Vader, conferring with Threepio. _

**Jurokk. **I've searched the Astronomy Tower and the Communication Center, sir. But there's nothing there.

**Yoda. **Thank you.

_Exit Jurokk._

**Baas. **The third floor's clear, too, sir.

**Yoda. **Very good.

_Exit Baas._

**Vader. **I've done the dungeons, Master. No sign of Kenobi. Nor anywhere else in the Temple.

**Yoda. **Thank you. I didn't really expect him to linger.

**Vader. **Remarkable feat, don't you think? To enter the Jedi Temple on one's own, completely undetected.

**Yoda. **Quite remarkable, yes.

**Vader. **Any theories about how he might have managed it?

**Yoda. **Several, each as unlikely as the next.

**Vader. **You may recall that prior to the start of term, I did express concern about your appointment of Master . . .

**Yoda. **Not a single Master inside this Temple would help Obi-Wan Kenobi enter it. No, I'm quite convinced the Temple is safe. And I'm more than willing to send the students back to their Houses.

**Vader. **What about Skywalker? Should he be warned?

**Yoda. **Perhaps. But for now, let him sleep, for in dreams, we enter a world that's entirely our own. Let them swim on Mon Calamari, or glide over Cloud City. _[pauses] _I must go down to the Tuskens. I said I would inform them when our search was complete.

**Threepio. **Didn't they want to help, sir?

**Yoda. **Oh, yes. But I'm afraid no Tusken Raider will cross the threshold of this Temple while I am Grand Master.

_Exit Yoda._

_Vader glares resentfully at Yoda's retreating back._

_Exit Vader._

_Luke glances at Han and Leia, who also have been eavesdropping._

**Han. **What was that all about?

_Exit all._


	28. Mon Mothma's Concerns

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, Leia, Lando, and Nien Nunb._

_Enter Gantoris, in place of the holograph of Kara._

**Gantoris. **What villains are these who trespass across my private lands? Who dares challenge Lord Gantoris? Back, you scurvy braggarts! You rogues!

**Nien. **He's barking mad.

**Lando. **What do you expect? After what happened to Kara, none of the other holographs would take the job.

**Wedge. **But he keeps changing the password. That's two times this morning. _[holds up a wrinkled durasheet] _I've taken to keeping a list.

_Exit all but Luke, occasionally followed by the Masters and Threepio._

_Luke enters Mon Mothma's quarters._

_Enter Mon Mothma._

**Mothma. **There's no point hiding it from you any longer, Skywalker. I know this will come as a shock to you, but Obi-Wan Kenobi . . .

**Luke. **Obi-Wan Kenobi wants to kill me. Yeah. I know. I heard Han's father tell his mother. Master Solo works for the Galactic Republic.

**Mothma. **I see. In that case, Skywalker, you'll understand why I don't think it's a good idea for you to be practicing Smashball in the evenings. Out on the field with only your team members . . . it's very exposed.

**Luke. **We've got our first match on Benduday. I've got to train, Senator.

**Mothma. **Hmmm . . .

_Mon Mothma stares out at the Smashball field._

Well, the Force knows, I'd like to see us win the Cup at last. But all the same, Skywalker, I'd feel safer knowing a Master was present. I speak with Master Dreis about overseeing your training sessions.

_Exit all._


	29. Substitute Master

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Jacen, Ben, Tycho, Tenel Ka, Lowbacca, and Tahiri._

**Tycho. **We're not playing Kun. Bast has just been to see me. We're playing Surik instead.

**All. **Why?

**Tycho. **Bast's excuse is that their seeker's arm is still injured. But it's obvious why they're doing it. They don't want to play in this weather. They think it will damage their chances.

**Luke. **There's _nothing wrong _with Marek's arm. He's faking it.

**Tycho. **I know that, but we can't prove it. And we've been practicing all those moves assuming we're playing Kun, rather than Surik, and their style is quite different. They've got a new captain and seeker, Biggs Darklighter.

_Tenel Ka and Tahiri giggle._

What?

**Tenel Ka. **He's that tall, good-looking one, isn't he?

**Tahiri. **Strong and silent.

**Jacen. **He's only silent because he's too thick to string two words together. _[to Tycho] _I don't know why you're worried, Tycho. Surik is a pushover. Last time we played them, Luke caught the Globe in five minutes. Remember?

**Tycho. **We were playing in completely different conditions. Darklighter has put a strong side together. He's an excellent seeker. I was afraid you'd take it like this. We mustn't relax. We must keep our focus. Kun is trying to wrong-foot us. We _must _win.

**Jacen. **Tycho. Calm down. We're taking Surik very seriously, _seriously_.

**Tycho. **Darklighter has got a very fast swerve, Luke. You might want to try looping him.

_Exit all but Luke, headed for Qui-Gon Jinn's classroom._

_Enter Han, Leia, Wedge, Lando, Nien Nunb, Winter, Bria, Sheltay Retrac, and Kenth Hamner._

**Luke. **Sorry, I'm late, Master Jinn.

_Enter Darth Vader._

**Vader. **This lesson began ten minutes ago, Skywalker. Ten points from Revan. Sit down.

**Luke. **Where's Master Jinn?

**Vader. **That's not really your concern, is it, Skywalker? Suffice it to say, your Master finds himself incapable of teaching at the present time.

**Luke. **What's wrong with him?

**Vader. **Nothing life-threatening. Five more points from Revan. If I ask you to sit down, I will make it fifty.

_Luke sits down._

As I was saying, before Skywalker interrupted, Master Jinn has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far . . .

**Leia. **Sir. We've done Gurlanins, Chazrachs, monkey-lizards, and dinkos. And we're just about to start . . .

**Vader. **Quiet. I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Master Jinn's lack of organization.

**Lando. **He's the best Defense Against the Dark Side Master we've ever had.

**Vader. **You are easily satisfied. Jinn is hardly overtaxing you. I would expect first years to be able to deal with Chazrachs and dinkos. Today we shall discuss Shistavanen Wolfmen.

**Leia. **But sir, we were just about to start ysalamiri. We're not due to start nocturnal beasts for weeks.

**Vader. **Miss Organa. I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. Now turn to page three hundred ninety-four.

_All open their books to the chapter on Shistavanens._

Now, which of you can tell me the difference between a Shistavanen and a true wolf?

_Leia raises her hand._

No one? How disappointing.

**Winter. **We told you, we haven't got that far yet.

**Vader. **Silence! Well, well, well. I never thought I'd come across a third year class who wouldn't even recognize a Wolfman, when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Master Yoda how very behind you are.

**Leia. **Please, sir, the Shistavanen differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the Shistavanen . . .

**Vader. **That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Organa. Are you incapable of restraining yourself, or do you take pride in being an insufferable know-it-all?

**Han. **_[angry] _You asked us a question, and she knows the answer. Why ask if you don't want to be told?

**Vader. **Detention, Solo. And if I ever hear you criticize the way the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed. As an antidote to your ignorance, and on my desk by Primeday morning, two rolls of durasheet on the Shistavanen, with particular emphasis on recognizing it.

**Luke. **But sir, it's Smashball tomorrow.

**Vader. **Then I suggest you take extra care, Master Skywalker. Loss of limb will not excuse you. Turn to page three hundred ninety-four. _[to all] _The term "Shistavanen" is a contraction of the Shistavanen word _vanen_, which means "man," and _shista_, which means "wolf." Wolfman, man-wolf. There are several ways to become a Shistavanen. They include being given the power of shapeshifting, being bitten by a Wolfman, or receiving the infliction at birth.

_As the class takes notes, Vader looks over Qui-Gon's students' graded work._

Very poorly explained. That is incorrect. The monkey-lizard is more commonly found on Kowak. Master Jinn gave this eight out of ten. I wouldn't have given it three.

_The bell rings._

Solo. Stay behind. We need to arrange your detention.

_Exit all but Luke and Leia, who wait outside Qui-Gon Jinn's classroom._

**Luke. **Vader's never been like this with any other Defense Against the Dark Side instructor, even if he did want the job. Why does he got it in for Jinn? Do you think this is all because of the Gurlanin?

**Leia. **I don't know. But I do hope Master Jinn gets better soon.

_Enter Han._

**Han. **Do you know what that bastard is making me do?

**Leia. **Han.

**Han. **_[ignoring Leia] _I've got to scrub out the bedpans in the medcenter _without the Force_. Why couldn't Kenobi have hidden in Vader's quarters? He could have finished him off for us.

_Exit all._


	30. Grim Defeat

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, asleep._

_Enter PROXY, blowing in Luke's ear._

_Luke awakes._

**Luke. **What did you do that for?

_Exit PROXY, cackling._

_Luke glances at his chronometer, which reads four hundred hours._

Damn you, PROXY.

_Luke makes a vain attempt to get more sleep._

_Luke gets up, dresses, and retrieves his X-wing._

_Luke opens the door to the dormitory._

_Enter Anji, headed for Viceroy._

_Luke picks up Anji._

You know, I reckon Han's right about you. There are plenty of rodents around this Temple. Go and chase them. Go on. Leave Viceroy alone.

_Luke sends Anji out of the dormitory._

_Luke sits awake for a few hours, then heads out of Revan Tower._

_Enter Gantoris._

**Gantoris. **Stand and fight, you mangy cur.

**Luke. **Oh, shut up.

_Exit Gantoris._

_Luke sits in the Great Hall, yawning._

_Enter Tycho, Jacen, Ben, Tenel Ka, Lowbacca, and Tahiri._

**Tycho. **This is going to be a tough one.

**Lowbacca. **Stop worrying, Tycho. We don't mind a bit of rain.

_The Revan team walk onto the field and board their ships._

_Enter Biggs Darklighter, a tall mustached pilot with dark hair; John D. Branon, the dark-haired chaser; Elyhek Rue, the solemn-faced chaser; Bren Quersey, the thick-browed chaser; Noz__zo Naytaan, the Regellian beater; Theron Nett, the confident beater; and Wenton Chan, the helmeted keeper._

_Enter Garven Dreis._

**Dreis. **Captains. Shake hands.

_Biggs and Tycho shake hands._

_Biggs gives his opponent a friendly smile._

Board your ships.

_The fourteen players take off and the game begins._

_The wind blows the players, causing a significant obstacle._

_Enter Wes Janson, giving a commentary drowned out by the wind._

_Blinded by the rain, Luke is almost hit by a dovin basal twice._

_Luke almost crashes into another player, unable to see if he or she is Revan or Surik._

_Dreis whistles for a time-out._

_The Revans land._

**Tycho. **I called for a time-out. Come on. Under here.

_The Revans crowd around a large umbrella._

**Luke. **What's the score?

**Tycho. **We're fifty points up. But unless we get the Globe soon, we'll be playing into the night.

_Enter Leia._

**Leia. **Luke. I have an idea.

_Reaching into the Force, Leia generates a force field around Luke's eyes, repelling the rain._

**Tycho. **Brilliant.

_Exit Leia._

Okay, team. Let's go for it.

_The Revans take off and the game resumes._

_Luke and Biggs fly in opposite directions in search of the Golden Globe._

_Luke has to dodge both Biggs and a dovin basal._

_Enter Obi-Wan Kenobi, disguised as a vornskr._

_Lightning flashes, and Luke sees Kenobi._

_Stunned, Luke drops a few feet._

Luke. Behind you.

_Biggs chases after the Globe._

_Luke chases after Biggs._

**Luke. **_[to X-wing] _Come on. Faster.

_Enter Tuskens, levitating onto the field, toward Luke._

_The Tuskens lunge at Luke, menacingly._

_Luke begins to lose consciousness, slipping out of his X-wing._

_Enter Padmé Skywalker and Lord Sidious, both unseen._

**Padmé. **Not Luke. Not Luke. Please not Luke.

**Sidious. **Stand aside, you silly girl. Stand aside now.

**Padmé. **Not Luke. Please no. Take me. Kill me instead.

_Luke falls._

Not Luke. Please! Have mercy, Have mercy. . . .

_Sidious laughs._

_Padmé screams and dies._

_Luke passes out, still falling._

_Exit all._


	31. The Death of an X-wing

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, lying in the medcenter._

_Enter Han, Leia, Jacen, Ben, Tenel Ka, Lowbacca, and Tahiri._

**Han. **He looks a bit peaky, doesn't he?

**Jacen. **Peaky? What do you expect? He fell over thirty meters.

**Ben. **Yeah. Come on, Han. Let's walk you off the Astronomy Tower and see what you look like.

_Luke opens his eyes and sits up._

**Luke. **Probably a right sight better than he normally does.

**Jacen. **Luke. How are you feeling?

**Luke. **_[sarcastic] _Oh, brilliant.

**Jacen. **You gave us right good scare there, mate.

**Luke. **What happened?

**Han. **Well, you fell out of your ship.

**Lowbacca. **We thought you'd died.

**Luke. **I meant the match. Who won?

_The Revans exchange looks._

We didn't _lose_?

**Ben. **Darklighter got the Globe, just after you fell. He didn't realize what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off, wanted a rematch. But they won fair and square. Even Tycho admits it.

**Luke. **Where is Tycho?

**Jacen. **Still in the showers. We think he's trying to drown himself.

_Luke puts his face in his hands._

Come on, Luke. You've never missed the Globe before.

**Ben. **There had to be one time he didn't get it.

**Jacen. **It's not over yet. We lost by one hundred points, right? So if Surik loses to Shan, and we beat Shan and Kun . . .

**Ben. **Surik will have to lose by at least two hundred points.

**Jacen. **But if they beat Shan . . .

**Ben. **No way. Shan is too good. But if Kun loses to Surik . . .

**Jacen. **It all depends on points, a margin of one hundred either way.

_Enter Vokara Che, who shoos the team away._

We'll come and see you later. Don't beat yourself up, Luke. You're still the best seeker we've ever had.

_Exit all but Luke, Han, and Leia._

**Leia. **No one blames, Luke. The Tuskens aren't supposed to come inside the grounds. Yoda was furious. As soon as he saved you, he sent them straight off.

**Han. **There's something else you should know, too, Luke. When you fell, your X-wing . . . it sort of blew into the Ithorian Baforr, and, well . . .

_Han shows Luke the splintered durasteel remains of his T-65 X-wing starfighter._

_Exit all._


	32. Qui-Gon's Deal

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia, headed for Qui-Gon Jinn's classroom._

**Han. **If Vader is teaching Defense Against the Dark Side, I'm skiving off. Check who is in there, Leia.

_Leia glances in the room._

**Leia. **It's okay.

_Luke, Han, and Leia into Qui-Gon's classroom, among the other Revans (i.e., Wedge, Lando, Winter, Bria, Nien Nunb, et cetera)._

_Enter Qui-Gon Jinn._

_The Revans begin complaining._

**Lando. **It's not fair. He was only filling in. Why should he give us homework?

**Winter. **We don't know anything about Wolfmen.

**Nien. **Two rolls of durasheet!

**Qui-Gon. **Did you tell Lord Vader we haven't covered them yet?

**Lando. **Yes. But he said we were really behind.

**Winter. **He wouldn't listen.

**Nien. **Two rolls of durasheet!

**Qui-Gon. **Don't worry. I'll speak to Lord Vader. You don't have to do the essay.

**Leia. **Oh, no. I've already finished it.

_Qui-Gon shows his students a tank containing an ysalamir, which repels the Force._

**Qui-Gon. **They lure travelers on Myrkr. You notice the Force-neutral bubble it creates? They hop ahead in their jungle habitat. Force-sensitives go out of their way to avoid them. And then, they run into the vornskrs.

_The bell rings._

_Exit all but Qui-Gon and Luke._

Wait a moment, Luke. I'd like a word.

_Qui-Gon covers the ysalamir cage._

I'm sorry about your starfighter, Luke. Is there no chance of fixing it?

**Luke. **No. The tree smashed it to bits.

**Qui-Gon. **The Ithorian Baforr was planted the same year I came to the Jedi Temple. Jedi used to play a game, trying to get near enough to touch the trunk. In the end, a Padawan called Ki-Adi-Mundi nearly lost an eye, and we were forbidden to go near it. No X-wing would have stood a chance.

**Luke. **Did you hear about the Tuskens, too?

**Qui-Gon. **Yes, I did. I don't think any of us have seen Master Yoda that angry. They have been growing restless for some time, furious at his refusal to let them inside the grounds. I suppose they were the reason you fell?

**Luke. **Yes. Master. Why do the Tuskens affect me so? Am I just . . . ?

**Qui-Gon. **You are not weak, Luke. The Tuskens affect you worse than other because there are true horrors in your past, horrors your classmates can scarcely imagine. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Tuskens are among the foulest creatures to roam the galaxy. They feed on every good feeling, every happy memory, until a sentient is left with absolutely nothing but his worst experiences. Even the mundane feel their presence, even though they cannot see them.

**Luke. **Before I fainted, I heard a woman, screaming.

**Qui-Gon. **Tuskens force us to relive our worst experiences. Our pain becomes their power.

**Luke. **I think it was my mother, the night she was murdered.

_Qui-Gon's hand shakes._

**Qui-Gon. **You know, the first time I met you, Luke, I recognized you immediately. Not by your scar, but by your eyes. They are your mother Padmé's. _[sees Luke's expression] _Yes. Oh, yes. I knew her. Your mother was there for me at a time when no one else was. Not only was she a singularly gifted avatar of the Force, she was obviously an uncommonly kind woman. She had a way of seeing the beauty in others, even - and perhaps, most especially - when that being couldn't see it in himself.

**Luke. **Why did they have to come to the match?

**Qui-Gon. **They're getting hungry. Yoda won't let them into the Temple, so their supply of sentient prey has dried up. I don't think they could resist the large crowd around the Smashball field. All that excitement, emotions running high . . . it was their idea of a feast.

**Luke. **Kessel must be terrible.

**Qui-Gon. **The penitentiary is set on a small planet, way out near the Maw. But they don't need gravity or a black hole to keep the prisoners in, not when they're trapped inside their own heads, incapable of a single cheerful thought. Most of them go mad within weeks.

**Luke. **But Obi-Wan Kenobi escaped from them.

**Qui-Gon. **Yes. Kenobi must have found a way to fight them. I wouldn't have believed it possible. Tuskens are supposed to drain a being of his powers if he is left with them for too long.

**Luke. **I'm scared, Master.

**Qui-Gon. **Well, I'd consider you a fool if you weren't.

**Luke. **I need to know how to fight them. You could teach me. You made that Tusken on the cruiser go away.

**Qui-Gon. **There was only one that night.

**Luke. **But you made it go away.

**Qui-Gon. **I don't pretend to be an expert, Luke. But as the Tuskens seem to have developed a particular interest in you, perhaps I should teach you. But after the holidays. For now, I need to rest.

_Exit all. _


	33. The Star Map

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia, around the notice board, which schedules another CoCo Town visit._

**Leia. **We can do all of our Life Day shopping there. Mother and Father would really love those sparklemint sticks from Dex's Donuts.

_Exit all but Luke, who reads _Starfighters of the Galaxy _near the statue of Xim the Despot._

_Enter Jacen and Ben._

**Jacen. **Luke.

**Luke. **What are you doing? How come you're not going to CoCo Town?

**Jacen. **We've come to give you a bit of festive cheer before we go. Come in here.

_Luke, Jacen, and Ben step into a spare classroom._

_[hands Luke a piece of durasheet] _Early Life Day present for you, Luke.

**Luke. **What's this rubbish?

**Jacen. **"What's this rubbish?" he says. That there is the secret to our success.

**Ben. **It's a wrench, giving it to you, believe me.

**Jacen. **But we've decided your need is greater than ours. Ben. If you will . . .

**Ben. **_[removes lightsaber and taps the durasheet] _I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.

_The durasheet reveals itself as the Star Map, a holographic map of the Jedi Temple._

_Enter Anakin Skywalker, a blond-haired teenager; Obi-Wan Kenobi, a auburn-haired and beardless teenager; Qui-Gon Jinn, a brown-haired teenager; and Nute Gunray, a gray-skinned teenager in elaborate robes._

**Anakin. **Messrs. Sivrak, Viceroy, Ben, and Tan are proud to present the Rakatan Star Map.

**Ben. **We owe them so much.

_Exit the Rakatans, revealing the holographic outline of the Jedi Temple, with holographic figures of Jedi pacing around the Temple._

**Luke. **Hang on. This is the Jedi Temple. And is that really . . . ?

**Jacen. **Yoda . . .

**Ben. **. . . in his quarters . . .

**Jacen. **. . . pacing.

**Ben. **He does that a lot.

**Luke. **So you mean, this map shows . . .

**Jacen. **Everyone.

**Luke. **Everyone?

**Ben. **Everyone.

**Jacen. **Where they are.

**Ben. **What they're doing.

**Jacen. **Every minute . . .

**Ben. **. . . of every day.

**Luke. **Brilliant. Where did you get it?

**Jacen. **We nicked it from Jurokk's quarters, of course, first year.

**Ben. **Now listen. There are seven secret passageways, which all lead right into CoCo Town. Now Jurokk knows about these four. _[indicates the Star Map] _But we're sure we're the only ones who know about these. Don't bother with the one behind the transparisteel on the fourth floor. We used it until last winter. But it's caved in, completely blocked. And we don't reckon anyone had ever used this one, because the Ithorian Baforr is planted right over the entrance. But we recommend . . .

**Both. **This one.

**Ben. **The Statue of Xim Passageway. It will lead you straight to Dex's Donuts cellar.

**Jacen. **But you'd best hurry. Jurokk is heading this way.

**Ben. **O! And Luke. Don't forget. When you're done, just give it a tap and say . . .

**Both. **"Mischief managed." Otherwise, anyone can read it.

**Jacen. **_[imitating Threepio] _So young Luke. Mind you behave yourself.

**Ben. **See you in CoCo Town.

_Exit all._


	34. Kenobi's Secret

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, at the Statue of Xim._

_Luke sees a holographic image of Luke Skywalker, standing by Xim the Despot._

_Holographic Luke taps Xim's statue with his lightsaber._

**Hologram. **_Mechu-deru_.

_Luke imitates his hologram._

**Luke. **_Mechu-deru_.

_Using _mechu-deru_, Luke alters the machinery of the Statue of Xim._

_The Statue of Xim opens a humanoid-sized entrance._

_With the Star Map, Luke steps into the Statue of Xim._

_Luke uses the Force to generate a ball of light._

_[taps Star Map] _Mischief managed.

_Luke crawls through a narrow tunnel beneath the surface of Coruscant._

_Luke reaches a trapdoor._

_Luke steps into the cellar of Dex's Donuts._

_Luke hides behind some durasteel crates._

_Enter Dexter Jettster, a heavyweight cook with four arms and a crest over his head._

_Enter Jettster, the wife of Dexter Jettster, unseen._

**Jettster. **And get another box of sweetcakes, dear. They've nearly cleaned us out.

_As Dex shifts through the crates, Luke moves and walks up the stairs into Dex's Donuts._

_Exit Dex and Mistress Jettster._

_Enter Han and Leia, examining life soup._

**Leia. **No. Luke won't want these. They're for Anzati, I expect.

**Han. **_[holds out a box of Dagobah mud cakes] _How about these?

**Luke. **Definitely not.

**Leia. **Luke. What are you doing here? How . . . how did you . . . ?

**Han. **O! You've learned how to Force Travel.

**Luke. **Of course, I haven't. _[explains the Star Map]_

**Han. **Those scoundrels! They never told me about any Star Map.

**Leia. **But Luke isn't going to keep it, are you? He's going to turn it over to Senator Mothma.

**Han. **_[sarcastic] _Oh, sure. Along with his cloaking device.

**Luke. **If I hand it in, I'll have to say where I got it. Jurokk will know Jacen and Ben nicked it.

**Leia. **But what about Obi-Wan Kenobi? He could be using one of the passages on the map to get inside the Temple. The Masters have got to know.

**Luke. **He can't be getting in through a passage. There are seven secret tunnels on the map, right? Jacen and Ben reckon Jurokk already knows about four of them. And of the other three? One is caved in, so no one can get through it. One has got the Ithorian Baforr planted over the entrance, so you can't get out of it. And the one I just came through . . . well, it's really hard to see the entrance to it down in the cellar, so unless he knew it was there . . .

_Enter Finis Valorum, a holographic image of the Supreme Chancellor._

**Valorum. **By order of the Galactic Republic, customers are reminded that until further notice, Tuskens will be patrolling the streets of CoCo Town every night after sundown. This measure has been put in place for the safety of Coruscanti and will be lifted upon the recapture of Obi-Wan Kenobi. It is therefore advisable that you complete your shopping well before nightfall. Happy Life Day!

_Exit Valorum._

**Han. **See? I'd like to see Kenobi try and break into Dex's Donuts with Tuskens swarming all over the village. Anyway, Leia, the Jettsters would hear a break-in, wouldn't they? They live over the shop.

**Leia. **Yes. But . . . but . . . Luke still shouldn't be coming into CoCo Town. He hasn't got a signed form. If anyone finds out, he'll be in so much trouble. And it's not nightfall yet. What if Obi-Wan Kenobi turns up today? Now?

**Han. **_[indicates snow-covered windows] _He'd have a job spotting Luke in this. Come on, Leia. It's Life Day. Luke deserves a break.

**Luke. **_[to Leia] _Are you going to report me?

**Leia. **Oh, of course not. But honestly, Luke . . .

**Han. **Seen the glitterstim spice, Luke? And the sweetcakes? And the Plasma Clouds? Jacen gave me one of those when I was seven. It burnt a hole right through my tongue. I wonder if Jacen would take a box of Dagobah mud cakes, if I told him they were dilga-nuts.

_After Han and Leia pay for the sweets, they and Luke leave Dex's Donuts._

**Leia. **That's Praesitlyn, the headquarters of the Intergalactic Communications Center.

**Han. **Arakyd Industries is up there.

**Leia. **We could go up to the Valley of the Jedi.

**Han. **I'll tell you what, shall we go for a juri juice in Dex's Diner?

_Luke, Han, and Leia find a table in Dex's Diner._

_Enter Ackmena, a gray-haired woman in brown robes._

**Leia. **Oh, look who it is, Mistress Ackmena. Han fancies her.

**Han. **That's not true. I'll get the drinks, shall I? _[with three glasses of juri juice] _Happy Life Day!

_Luke, Han, and Leia drink juri juice._

_Enter Mon Mothma, Finis Valorum, Chewbacca, and Sio Bibble._

_Han and Leia force Luke under the table, smashing his cup of juri juice._

_Using the Force, Leia moves a Life Day tree in front of their table._

**Ackmena. **A small glass of Chandrilan wine.

**Mothma. **Mine.

**Ackmena. **Four pints of Kashyyyk ale.

**Chewbacca. **Ta, Ackmena.

**Ackmena. **Blossom wine from Naboo, with tusk-cat memorial cup.

**Bibble. **Mmm!

**Ackmena. **So you'll be the Alderaanian brandy, Chancellor.

**Valorum. **Thank you, Ackmena, my dear. Lovely to see you again, I must say. Have one yourself, won't you? Come and join us.

**Ackmena. **Thank you very much.

_Ackmena sits with Valorum and the Jedi._

**Valorum. **I hope business is good?

**Ackmena. **It would be a lot better, if the Republic wasn't sending Tuskens into my diner every other night.

**Valorum. **We have . . . _[glances around nervously, then whispers] _We have a killer on the loose.

**Ackmena. **Oh, Obi-Wan Kenobi? In CoCo Town? And what would bring him here?

**Valorum. **Luke Skywalker.

**Ackmena. **Luke Skywalker?

**Valorum. **Shh! I daresay you heard what happened up at the Temple on Halloween?

**Ackmena. **I heard a rumor.

**Mothma. **Did you tell the whole cantina, Chewie?

**Ackmena. **Do you still think Kenobi is in the area, Chancellor?

**Valorum. **I'm sure of it. I've just met with the Tuskens. They're in a fury because Yoda won't let them inside the grounds.

**Mothma. **I should think not. How are we supposed to teach with those horrors roaming about?

**Bibble. **Hear, hear!

**Valorum. **I don't like them much either. But they're a necessary evil. We all know what Kenobi is capable of.

**Ackmena. **Do you know, I still have trouble believing it. Of all the beings to go over to the dark side, Obi-Wan Kenobi is the last I would have thought. I mean, I remember him when he was a youngling at the Jedi Temple. If you had told me then what he was going to become, I'd have said you had too much Kashyyyk ale.

**Valorum. **You don't know the half of it, Ackmena. The worst he did isn't widely known.

**Ackmena. **What could be worse?

**Mothma. **You say you remember him from the Jedi Temple, Ackmena? Do you remember who his best friend was?

**Ackmena. **Of course. I never saw one without the other. The number of times I had them in here . . . O! They used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.

_Luke drops his empty glass._

_Han kicks Luke._

**Mothma. **Precisely. Kenobi and Skywalker, ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright, of course - exceptionally bright, in fact. But I don't think we've had such a pair of troublemakers.

**Chewbacca. **I don't know. Jacen and Ben Solo could give them a run for their credits.

**Bibble. **You'd have though Kenobi and Skywalker were brothers, inseparable.

**Valorum. **Of course they were. Skywalker trusted Kenobi beyond all his other friends. Nothing changed when they left the Temple. Kenobi was best man when Anakin married Padmé. He was, and remains to this day, Luke Skywalker's godfather. Luke has no idea, of course. You can imagine how the idea would torment him.

**Ackmena. **Because Kenobi turned out to be in league with You-Know-Who?

**Valorum. **Worse even than that, my dear. Now years ago, when Anakin and Padmé realized they were marked for death, they went into hiding. Few knew where they were. One who did was Obi-Wan Kenobi. Yoda had told them their best chance was to use the White Current.

**Ackmena. **How does that work?

**Bibble. **An immensely complex spell, involving powerful Force illusions concealing a secret within a single living soul. The secret is hidden inside the chosen one, or Infinite Spirit, and is henceforth impossible to find, unless of course the Infinite Spirit chooses to divulge it. As long as the Infinite Spirit refused to speak, You-Know-Who could search the village where Padmé and Anakin were staying for years and never find them, not even if he had his nose pressed against the living room window.

**Ackmena. **So Kenobi was the Skywalkers' Infinite Spirit?

**Mothma. **Naturally. Anakin Skywalker told Yoda that Kenobi would die rather than reveal their secret, that Kenobi was planning to go into hiding himself. And yet, Yoda remained worried. I remember his offering to be the Skywalkers' Infinite Spirit.

**Ackmena. **He suspected Kenobi?

**Mothma. **He was sure that somebody close to the Skywalkers was keeping You-Know-Who informed of their activities. In fact, he had suspected for some time that someone on our side had turned traitor and was passing intelligence to You-Know-Who.

**Ackmena. **But Anakin Skywalker insisted on using Kenobi?

**Valorum. **He did. And then, barely a week after the White Current had been performed . . .

**Ackmena. **Kenobi betrayed them?

**Valorum. **He did indeed. Kenobi was tired of his double agent role. He was ready to declare his support openly for You-Know-Who. And he seems to have planned this for the moment of the Skywalkers' deaths. But, as we all know, You-Know-Who met his downfall in little Luke Skywalker. Powers gone, horribly weakened, he fled. And this left Kenobi in a very nasty position indeed. His Master had fallen at the very moment when he, Kenobi, had revealed his true colors at last. He had no choice but to run for it.

**Chewbacca. **Slimy, double-crossing, no-good swindler!

**Mothma. **Shh!

**Chewbacca. **I met him. I must have been the last to see him before he murdered all of those sentients. It was I who rescued him from Padmé and Anakin's house after they were killed. I just got him out of the ruins - poor little thing, with a slash across his forehead and his parents dead - and Obi-Wan Kenobi turns up, on that Delta-Seven he used to fly. It never occurred to me what he was he was doing there for. I didn't know he had been Anakin and Padmé's Infinite Spirit. I thought he had just heard the news of You-Know-Who's attack and had come to see what he could do. White and shaking, he was. And you know what I did? I comforted the murdering traitor!

**Mothma. **Chewbacca, please! Keep your voice down.

**Chewbacca. **How was I supposed to know that he wasn't upset about Anakin and Padmé? It was You-Know-Who he cared about. And then he says, "Give Luke to me, Chewie. I'm his godfather. I'll look after him." Ha! But I'd had my orders from Yoda, and I told Kenobi, "No. Yoda says Luke is to go to his aunt and uncle." Kenobi argued. But in the end, he gave in. He told me to take his Delta-Seven to get Luke there. "I won't need it anymore," he says. I should have known then that something fishy was going on. He loved that starfighter. What was he giving it to me for? Why wouldn't he need it anymore? The fact was that it was too easy to trace. Yoda knew he had been the Skywalkers' Infinite Spirit. Kenobi knew he was going to have to run for it, knew it was only a matter of time before the Republic came after him. But what if I'd given him Luke, eh? I bet he'd have tossed him into vacuum halfway to the Outer Rim. His best friend's son! But when a being goes over to the dark side, there's nothing and no one who matters to them anymore.

**Ackmena. **But he didn't manage to disappear, did he? The Galactic Republic caught up with him the next day.

**Valorum. **Alas, if only we had. It was not we who found him. It was little Nute Gunray, another of Skywalker's friends. Maddened by grief and knowing that Kenobi had been the Skywalkers' Infinite Spirit, Gunray went after Kenobi himself.

**Ackmena. **Nute Gunray?

**Mothma. **Yes. Little lump of a boy? Always trailing after Kenobi and . . .

**Ackmena. **I remember him. He never let Anakin and Obi-Wan out of his sight. But what happened?

**Mothma. **Gunray tried to avenge the Skywalkers. And he might have managed it, had he not run into an old friend, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

**Valorum. **Kenobi was vicious. He didn't kill Gunray. He destroyed him. Eyewitnesses told us how Gunray cornered Kenobi. They say he was sobbing, "Anakin and Padmé, Obi-Wan. How could you?" And then he went for his lightsaber. But of course, Kenobi was quicker. A finger! That was all that was left, a finger - nothing else.

**Mothma. **Stupid foolish boy. He was always hopeless at dueling. He should have left it to the Republic.

**Chewbacca. **I tell you, if I had got to Kenobi before Gunray did, I wouldn't have messed with lightsabers. I'd have ripped him limb from limb.

**Valorum. **You don't know what you're talking about, Chewbacca. Nobody but trained Gray Paladins from the Coruscant Security Force would have stood a chance against Kenobi once he was cornered. I was a General with the Antarian Rangers at the time, and I was one of the first on the scene after Kenobi murdered all of those beings. I . . . I will never forget it. I still dream about it sometimes - a crater in the middle of the street, so deep it had cracked the sewer below, bodies everywhere, mundane folk screaming. And Kenobi stood there, laughing, with what little remained of Gunray . . . a heap of bloodstained robes and a few . . . a few fragments . . .

_All blow noses, tears on their faces._

Well, there you have it, Ackmena. Kenobi was taken away by twenty Gray Paladins, and Gunray received an Order of Revan, First Class, which I think was some comfort to his poor mother. Kenobi's been on Kessel ever since.

**Mothma. **Yes. Obi-Wan Kenobi may not have laid a hand on the Skywalkers. But he's the reason they're dead.

**Valorum. **And now he wants to finish what he started.

**Ackmena. **Is it true he's mad, Chancellor?

**Valorum. **I wish I could say that he was. I certainly believe his Master's defeat unhinged him for a while. The murder of Gunray and all those mundanes was the act of a cornered and desperate man - cruel, pointless. Yet I met Kenobi on my last inspection of Kessel. You know, most of the prisoners in there sit, muttering to themselves in the dark. There's no sense in them. But I was shocked by how _normal _Kenobi seemed. He spoke quite rationally to me. It was unnerving. You'd have thought he was merely bored. He asked if I had finished with my HoloNet printout, cool as you please, said he missed doing the crossword. Yes. I was astounded by how little affect the Tuskens seemed to have on him. And he was one of the most heavily guarded in the place, Tuskens outside his door day and night.

**Ackmena. **By the Force, Chancellor! What does he hope to accomplish, rejoin You-Know-Who?

**Valorum. **I daresay that is his, er, eventual plan. But we hope to capture Kenobi long before that. I must say, You-Know-Who, alone and friendless, is one thing . . . but give him back his most devoted servant, and I shudder to think how quickly he will rise again.

**Mothma. **You know, Finis, if you're dining with the Grand Master, we'd better head back up to the Temple.

_Exit Mothma, Bibble, Chewbacca, Valorum, and Ackmena._

**Leia. **Luke.

**Luke. **_[angry] _He was their friend . . . and he betrayed them. He was their friend. I hope he finds me, because when he does, I'm going to be ready. When he does, I am going to kill him.

_Exit all._


	35. In Chewbacca's Quarters

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, in Revan Tower._

**Luke. **_[aside] _Why hasn't anyone told me? Yoda, Chewie, Master Solo, Chancellor Valorum . . . why hasn't anyone mentioned the fact that Mother and Father died because their best friend betrayed them?

_Luke peruses through a leather-bound book of holographs._

_Luke sees a holographic image of Varykino, Naboo._

_Enter Anakin Skywalker, a youth with long dirty blond hair; Padmé Amidala, a young woman with brown hair; and Obi-Wan Kenobi, a laughing man with graying auburn hair._

This is my parents' wedding. And there's Kenobi. If I didn't know it was him, I would never have recognized him. He seems so handsome and full of laughter, not sunken and waxy like I see in his wanted holographs. Had he already started working for Sidious when the holograph was taken? Was he already planning the deaths of the two beings next to him? Did he realize he was facing twelve years of Kessel, twelve years that would make him unrecognizable? But the Tuskens don't affect him. He doesn't hear Mother's screaming if they get to close. . . .

_Enter Han._

**Han. **Luke.

_Luke rolls over and pretends to sleep._

_Exit Han._

**Luke. **_[aside] _A hatred such as I have never known before courses through me like poison. I can see Kenobi's laughing at me through the darkness, as though somebody has pasted the holograph of the wedding over my eyes. I watch, as if somebody is playing a holodrama, Obi-Wan Kenobi's blasting Nute Gunray (portrayed by Wedge Antilles) to bits. I can hear a low, excited mutter. "It has happened, my Lord. The Skywalkers have made me their Infinite Spirit. And then another voice, cackling maniacally, the same voice I hear whenever the Tuskens draw near . . .

_Enter Han (with Viceroy) and Leia (with Anji)._

**Han. **Luke. You . . . you look terrible.

**Luke. **Where is everyone?

**Han. **Gone. It's the first day of the holidays, remember? It's nearly lunchtime. I was going to come in and wake you in a minute.

**Leia. **You really don't look well, you know.

**Luke. **I'm fine.

**Leia. **Luke. Listen. You must be really upset about what we heard yesterday. But the thing is, you mustn't go doing anything stupid.

**Luke. **Like what?

**Han. **Like trying to go after Kenobi.

**Leia. **You won't, will you?

**Han. **Because Kenobi is not worth dying for.

**Luke. **Do you know what I see and hear every time a Tusken gets near me? I can hear my mother, screaming and pleading with Sidious. And if you'd heard my mother, screaming like that, just about to be killed, you wouldn't forget it in a hurry. And if you found out someone who was supposed to be a friend of hers betrayed her and sent Sidious after her . . .

**Leia. **There's nothing you can do. The Tuskens will catch Kenobi, and he'll go back to Kessel. And that will serve him right.

**Luke. **You heard what Valorum said. Kenobi isn't affected by Kessel like normal beings are. It's not a punishment for him as it is with others.

**Han. **So what are you saying? You want to . . . to kill Kenobi or something?

**Leia. **Don't be silly. Luke doesn't want to kill anybody, do you? He just spoke out of anger, didn't you?

**Luke. **Marek knows. Remember what he said to me in Potions? "If it were me, I'd hunt him down myself. I'd want revenge."

**Han. **You're going to take Marek's advice, instead of ours? Kenobi is a madman, Luke. He's dangerous. You hear Valorum. He obliterated Gunray, leaving nothing but a finger.

**Luke. **Marek's father must have told him. He was right in Sidious's inner circle, so obviously the Mareks knew Kenobi was working for Sidious . . .

**Han. **And Marek would love to see you blast into a million pieces, like Gunray. Get a grip. Marek was just hoping you would get yourself killed before he has to play you at Smashball.

**Leia. **Luke. Please be sensible. Kenobi did a terrible, terrible thing. But don't put yourself in danger. It's what Kenobi wants. O! Luke. You'd be playing right into Kenobi's hands. Think about your parents. They wouldn't want you getting yourself killed . . .

**Luke. **I'll never know what they would have wanted, because thanks to Kenobi, I've never spoken with them.

**Han. **_[breaks an awkward silence] _Look. It's the holidays. It's nearly Life Day. Let's . . . let's go down to see Chewie. We haven't visited him for ages.

**Leia. **No. Luke isn't supposed to leave the Temple, Han.

**Luke. **Yeah. Let's go. I can ask him why he never mentioned Kenobi when he told he all about my parents.

**Han. **Or we could have a game of dejarik or sabacc. Threepio left a set of . . .

**Luke. **No. Let's visit Chewbacca.

_Luke, Han, and Leia leave Revan Tower._

_Enter Gantoris._

**Gantoris. **Stand and fight, you yellow-bellied mongrels.

_Exit Gantoris._

_Luke, Han, and Leia arrive at Chewbacca's wroshyr treehouse._

_Han knocks but receives no answer._

**Leia. **He's not out, is he?

_Luke, Han, and Leia hear sobbing._

**Han. **What is that? Is that Drang?

**Luke. **_[knocking] _Chewbacca. Chewbacca! Are you in there?

_Enter Chewbacca, who opens the door._

**Chewbacca. **You've heard?

_Chewbacca embraces Luke._

_Han and Leia pull him back into a chair._

_Enter Drang._

**Leia. **Chewie. What _is _it?

_Chewbacca removes a hololetter._

**Luke. **What's this, Chewie?

_Enter Plo Koon, a holographic image of an orange-skinned man with a respirator._

**Koon. **Master Chewbacca. Further to our inquiry into the attack by a varactyl on one of your students, we have accepted the assurances of Master Yoda that you bear no responsibility for that regrettable incident.

**Han. **Well, that's okay then, Chewie.

**Koon. **However, we must register our concern about the varactyl in question. We have decided to uphold the official complaint of Count Dooku Marek, and this matter will therefore be taken to the New Republic Military Oversight Committee. The hearing will take place on the twentieth of April. And we ask you to present yourself and your varactyl at the NRMOC's quarters on Coruscant on that date. In the meantime, the varactyl should be kept tethered and isolated, by order of the Jedi High Council. Sincerely, Plo Koon, representative of the Jedi Council.

_Exit Koon._

**Han. **Oh. But you said Boga isn't a bad varactyl, so . . .

**Chewbacca. **You don't know those _hut'uuns_ in the NRMOC. They have got it in for interesting creatures.

_Enter Boga, tethered inside the house._

I couldn't leave her tied up out in the snow, all on her own, on Life Day.

**Leia. **You'll have to put up a good strong defense, Chewie. I'm sure you can prove Boga is safe.

**Chewbacca. **It won't make a difference. Those Republic _di'kuts _. . . they're all in Count Dooku's pocket, scared of him. And if I lose the case, Boga . . .

**Luke. **What about Yoda, Chewie?

**Chewbacca. **He'd done more than enough for me already. He's got enough on his plate, what with keeping those Tuskens out of the Temple, and Obi-Wan Kenobi's lurking about . . .

**Luke. **Listen, Chewie. You can't give up. Leia's right. You just need a good defense. You can call us as witnesses.

**Leia. **I'm sure I've read about a case of varactyl-baiting where the varactyl got off. I'll look it up for you, Chewie, and see exactly what happened.

_Chewbacca howls._

**Han. **Er, shall I make a cup of tea?

_Luke stares at Han._

It's what Mom does whenever one is upset.

_Luke, Han, Leia, and Chewbacca drink tea._

**Chewbacca. **You're right. I can't afford to go to pieces. I've got to pull myself together. I've not been myself lately, worried about Boga and beings' not liking my classes. . . .

**Leia. **We do like them.

**Han. **Yeah. They're great. Er, how are the granite slugs?

**Chewbacca. **Dead. Too much minerals.

**Han. **Oh, no.

**Chewbacca. **And those Tuskens make me feel kriffing terrible and all. I've got to walk past them every time I want a drink in Dex's Diner. It's like being back on Kessel.

**Leia. **Is it awful there, Chewie?

**Chewbacca. **You have no idea. I've never been anywhere like it. I thought I was going mad. I kept going over horrible stuff in my mind - the day I was expelled from the Jedi Temple, the day my father died, the day I had to let Lumpy go . . . You can't really remember who you are after a while. And you can't see the point of living at all. I used to hope I'd just die in my sleep. When they let me out, it was like being born again. Everything came flooding back. It was the best feeling in the galaxy. Mind, the Tuskens weren't keen on letting me go.

**Leia. **But you were innocent.

**Chewbacca. **What's that matter to them? As long as they've got a couple of hundred beings stuck there with them, so they can leech the happiness out of them, they don't give a damn about who is guilty and who isn't.

_All glance at Boga._

**Luke. **Why don't you just set her free?

**Chewbacca. **They would know it was me. And I'm scared of breaking the law. I don't ever want to go back to Kessel.

_Exit Chewbacca._

_Luke, Han, and Leia enter the Jedi Archives._

**Han. **Here's something. There was a case in 1,722 BBY. But the varactyl was convicted. Ugh! Look what they did to it. It's disgusting.

**Leia. **This might help. Look. A gundark savaged someone in 1,296 BBY. And they let the gundark off. Oh, no. That was only because no one was brave enough to go near it.

_Exit all._


	36. The A-wing

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and Han, on Life Day._

_Luke and Han open presents, such as sweaters and sweetcakes from Jaina._

_Luke opens another present: an RZ-1 A-wing interceptor._

**Luke. **I don't believe it.

**Han. **Who sent it to you?

**Luke. **Look and see if there's a card.

_Han searches for a card._

**Han. **Nothing. Minions of Xendor! Who would spend that much on you?

**Luke. **Well, I'm betting it wasn't the Larses.

**Han. **I bet it was Yoda. He sent you the cloaking device anonymously.

**Luke. **That was my father's. Yoda was just passing it on to me. He wouldn't spend hundreds of credits on me. He can't go and give students stuff like this.

**Han. **Yeah. _Di'kuts _like Marek would say it was favoritism. _[grins] _Luke. Marek! Wait until he sees you on this. He'll be sick as a shaak. This is an _intergalactic _standard interceptor.

**Luke. **I can't believe this. Who . . . ?

**Han. **I know who it could have been: Jinn.

**Luke. **Jinn? Listen: If he had this many credits, he'd be able to buy himself some new robes.

**Han. **Yeah. But he likes you. And he was away when your X-wing got smashed. He might have heard about it and decided to visit Mos Eisley . . .

**Luke. **What do you mean, away? He was ill.

**Han. **Well, he wasn't in the medcenter. I was there, cleaning out bedpans on that detention from Vader, remember?

**Luke. **I can't see Jinn's affording something like this.

_Enter Leia and Anji._

**Leia. **What are you two laughing about?

**Han. **Don't bring her in here.

**Leia. **_[sees A-wing] _O! Luke. Who sent you _that_?

**Luke. **No idea. There wasn't a card or anything with it.

_Leia's eyes grow alert with suspicion._

**Han. **What's the matter with you?

**Leia. **I don't know. But it's a bit odd, isn't it? I mean, this is supposed to be quite a good ship, isn't it?

**Han. **It's the best ship there is, Leia.

**Leia. **So it must have been really expensive . . .

**Han. **More than all of the Kuns' XJX-wings put together.

**Leia. **Well, who would send Luke something as expensive as that and not even leave a note?

**Han. **Who cares? Luke. Can I have a go on it? Can I?

**Leia. **I don't think anyone should fly that interceptor.

_Anji leaps at Viceroy._

**Han. **Get her out of here!

_Han pulls Viceroy away from the nexu, who he kicks._

_Enter Viper Probot, which begins to whir._

_Luke pulls the probe droid out of Uncle Owen's socks._

**Luke. **I forgot about this. I never wear these if I can help it.

**Han. **You'd better take that nexu out of here, Leia.

_Exit Leia and Anji._

_[to Luke] _Can't you shut that thing up?

_Luke stuffs the probe droid back in the socks and locks them both in his trunk._

**Luke. **_[about Viceroy] _He's not looking too good, is he?

**Han. **It's stress. He'd be fine if that big stupid fuzzball would leave him alone.

_Enter Leia._

_Luke, Han, and Leia enter the Great Hall._

_Enter Yoda, Mon Mothma, Darth Vader, Yaddle, Sio Bibble, Liam (a first year youngling), Salla Zend (a dark-skinned first year youngling), and Sora Bulq._

**Yoda. **Happy Life Day! As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables. Sit down. Sit down.

_Luke, Han, and Leia sit._

Crackers!

_Yoda offers the other end of a cracker to Vader, who reluctantly tugs, revealing a headgear of a Dathomiri Witch._

_Vader scowls and gives Yoda the hat._

_Yoda wears the hat._

Dig in!

_Enter Roan Shryne._

Roan. This is a pleasant surprise.

**Shryne. **I have been meditating, Master. And to my astonishment, I saw my abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate? I at once hastened from my spire. And I do beg you to forgive my tardiness.

**Yoda. **Certainly, certainly. Let me draw you up a chair.

_Yoda reaches into the Force and telekineses a chair in between Mothma and Vader._

**Shryne. **I dare not, Master. If I join the table, we shall be thirteen. Nothing could be more unlucky. Never forget when thirteen dine, the first to rise will be the first to die.

**Mothma. **We'll risk it, Roan. Do sit down. The nuna is getting cold.

_Shryne hesitantly sits down._

Cripe, Roan?

**Shryne. **_[ignoring Mothma] _But where is poor Master Jinn?

**Yoda. **I'm afraid the poor fellow is ill again. Most unfortunate that it should happen on Life Day.

**Mothma. **But surely you already knew that, Roan?

**Shryne. **_[glares at Mothma] _Certainly I knew, Mon. But one does not parade the fact that one is farseeing. I frequently act as if I am not possessed with the power of Force Sense, so as not to make others nervous.

**Mothma. **That explains at great deal.

**Shryne. **If you must know, Mon, I have seen that poor Master Jinn is not long for this galaxy. He seems aware himself that his time is short. He positively fled when I offered to meditate with him.

**Mothma. **_[sarcastic] _Imagine that.

**Yoda. **I doubt that Master Jinn is in any immediate danger. Darth. You've made the potion for him again?

**Vader. **Yes, Master.

**Yoda. **Good. Then he should be up and about in no time. Liam. Have you had any of these sweet-sand cookies? They're excellent.

_Liam blushes and takes a cookie._

_All eat._

_Luke and Han stand._

**Shryne. **By the Emperor's Black Heart! Which of you left your seat first?

**Han. **_[glances uneasily at Luke] _I don't know.

**Mothma. **I hardly think it matters, unless an Anzati assassin is waiting outside the doors to slaughter the first being to enter the Main Entrance.

_All but Shryne laugh._

**Luke. **_[to Leia] _Coming?

**Leia. **No. I want a quick word with Senator Mothma.

**Han. **_[aside, to Luke] _Probably trying to see if she can take any more classes.

_Exit all but Luke and Han._

_Enter Gantoris, at a party with a couple of Dathomiri Witches, several Jedi Masters, and his gualaar._

**Gantoris. **_[drunken] _Happy . . . hic . . . Life Day. Password?

**Han. **Scurvy cur.

**Gantoris. **And the same to you, sir.

_Exit all but Luke and Han._

_Luke and Han head up to their dormitory._

_Luke begins polishing the A-wing._

_Enter Leia and Mon Mothma._

**Mothma. **_[indicates the A-wing] _So that's it, is it? Miss Organa has just informed me that you have been sent an starfighter, Skywalker. May I see it?

_Mothma takes the A-wing._

Hmm. And there was no note at all, Skywalker? No card? No message of any kind?

**Luke. **No.

**Mothma. **I see. Well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to take this, Skywalker.

**Luke. **W-what? Why?

**Mothma. **It will need to be checked for curses. Of course, I'm no expert. But I daresay Master Dreis and Governor Bibble will strip it down.

**Han. **Strip it down?

**Mothma. **It shouldn't take more than a few weeks. You shall have it back when we are sure it is curse-free.

**Luke. **There's nothing wrong with it.

**Mothma. **You can't know that, Skywalker, unless you were to fly it. And by then it would be too late.

_Exit Mothma with the A-wing._

**Han. **Why did you go, running to Mothma?

**Leia. **Because I thought . . . and Senator Mothma agreed with me . . . that the ship was probably sent to Luke by Obi-Wan Kenobi.

_Exit all._


	37. Tycho's Outrage

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Tycho._

**Tycho. **Had a good Life Day? I've been doing some thinking over Life Day, Luke. After the last match, you know. If the Tuskens come to the next one . . . I mean, we can't afford you to . . . well . . .

**Luke. **I'm working on it. Master Jinn said he'd give me anti-Tusken lessons. We should be starting next week. He said he's have time after Life Day.

**Tycho. **Ah. Well, in that case . . . I really didn't want to lose you as a seeker, Luke. And have you ordered a new ship yet?

**Luke. **No.

**Tycho. **What? You'd better get a move on, you know. You can't ride that _Starmite_-class freighter against Shan.

**Han. **He got an A-wing for Life Day.

**Tycho. **An _A-wing_? No! Seriously? A . . . a _real _A-wing?

**Luke. **Don't get excited, Tycho. I haven't got it anymore. It was confiscated. Senator Mothma is afraid it might be cursed.

**Tycho. **Cursed? How could it be cursed?

**Luke. **Obi-Wan Kenobi. He's supposed to be after me. So Mothma reckons he might have sent it.

**Tycho. **But Kenobi couldn't have bought an A-wing. He's on the run. The entire Republic is on the lookout for him. How could he just walk into Spaceport Speeders and buy an interceptor?

**Luke. **I know. But Mothma still wants to strip it down . . .

**Tycho. **Strip it down? I'll go and talk to her, Luke. I'll make her see reason. An A-wing . . . a real A-wing on our team . . . She wants Revan to win just as must as we do. I'll make her see sense. An _A-wing_!

_Exit all._


	38. Leia's Theory

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Qui-Gon._

_Han waits back, as Luke speaks to Qui-Gon._

**Qui-Gon. **Ah, yes. Let me see. How about twenty hundred hours on Zhellday evening? The Galactic History should be large enough. I'll have to think carefully about how we're going to do this. We can't bring a real Tusken into the Temple to practice on. . . .

_Exit Qui-Gon._

**Han. **Still looks ill, doesn't he? What do you reckon is the matter with him?

_Enter Leia._

**Leia. **Tuh.

**Han. **And what are you tutting us for?

**Leia. **Nothing.

**Han. **Yes. You were. I said, "What do you reckon is the matter with him," and you . . .

**Leia. **Well, isn't it obvious?

**Han. **If you don't want to tell us, don't.

**Leia. **Fine.

_Exit Leia._

**Han. **She doesn't know. She's just trying to get us to talk to her again.

_Exit all._


	39. The Force Aura

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and Qui-Gon, in Vodo Siosk-Baas's classroom._

_Qui-Gon has brought in a trunk, which sits in the center._

**Qui-Gon. **Luke. There you are. You came. Now, are you sure about this, Luke? You know this is a very advanced Force power, well beyond the Jedi Initiate Trials.

**Luke. **I'm sure.

**Qui-Gon. **Well, everything is prepared. Now, the power I'm going to teach you is called the Force Aura. Did you ever hear of it?

**Luke. **How does it work?

**Qui-Gon. **The Aura is a kind of positive force. And for the Force wielder who can conjure one, it works something like a shield, with the Tusken feeding on it rather than him. But in order for it to work, you need to think of a memory. And not just any memory, a very happy memory, a very powerful memory. Can you do this?

**Luke. **Yes.

**Qui-Gon. **Very well. Close your eyes. Concentrate. Explore your past. Do you have a memory? Allow it to fill you up. Lose yourself within it. Then speak the incantation: _Tutaminis_.

**Luke. **_Tutaminis_.

**Qui-Gon. **Very good. Shall we? Lightsaber at the ready.

_Enter Gurlanin, disguised as a Tusken._

**Luke. **_Tutaminis. Tutaminis_. _Tuta _. . . _Tut _. . .

_Luke begins to collapse._

___Enter Padmé Skywalker and Lord Sidious, both unseen._

**Padmé. **Not Luke! Not Luke! Please . . . I'll do anything.

**Sidious. **Stand aside. Stand aside, girl.

_Luke collapses._

_Exit all but Luke and Qui-Gon._

_Qui-Gon revives Luke._

**Qui-Gon. **Luke. Here we go. Come on. Sit up. Deep breaths. It's all right. I didn't expect you to do it the first time. That would have been remarkable.

_Qui-Gon gives Luke a piece of chocolate._

Here. Eat this. You'll feel better.

**Luke. **That was one nasty Tusken.

**Qui-Gon. **Oh, no. That was a Gurlanin. The real thing would have been worse . . . much, much worse. As a matter of interest, what were you thinking? Which memory did you choose?

**Luke. **The first time I flew a starfighter.

**Qui-Gon. **Well, that's not good enough. Not nearly good enough.

**Luke. **It's getting worse. I could hear her louder that time . . . and him . . . Sidious . . .

**Qui-Gon. **Luke. If you don't want to continue, I will more than understand.

**Luke. **No. I have to. What if the Tuskens show up at our match against Shan? I can't afford to fall off again. If we lose the game, we've lost the Smashball Cup.

**Qui-Gon. **All right then. Then let's give it another try. Do you feel ready?

**Luke. **Just do it.

_Enter Gurlanin, disguised as a Tusken._

_Tutaminis_. _Tutaminis_. _Tutamin_ . . .

_Enter Anakin Skywalker and Lord Sidious, both unseen._

**Anakin. **Padmé. Take Luke and go. It's him. Go! Run! I'll try and hold him off.

**Sidious. **_[laughs]_

_Luke collapses._

_Exit all but Luke and Qui-Gon._

_Qui-Gon revives Luke._

**Qui-Gon. **Luke. Luke, wake up.

**Luke. **I heard my father. That's the first time I've ever heard of him. He tried to take on Sidious himself, to give my mother time to run for it.

**Qui-Gon. **You heard Anakin?

**Luke. **Yeah. Did you know my father?

**Qui-Gon. **As a matter of fact, I did. We were friends at the Jedi Temple. Listen, Luke. Perhaps we should leave it here for tonight. This power is ridiculously advanced. I shouldn't have suggested putting you through this.

**Luke. **No. I'll have one more go. I'm not thinking about happy enough things; that's what it is. Hang on. . . . _[aside] _A really, really happy memory, one that I can turn into a good strong Aura . . . O! The moment when I first learned I was Force-sensitive, and would be leaving Tatooine for the Jedi Temple. . . .

_Luke raises his lightsaber._

**Qui-Gon. **Ready? All right. Go!

_Enter Gurlanin, disguised as a Tusken._

**Luke. **_Tutaminis_! _Tutaminis_! _Tutaminis_!

_Enter Padmé Skywalker, unseen._

_[screams faintly]_

_Luke blocks out Padmé's screaming._

_The Gurlanin falters in front of the Force barrier in front of it._

_Qui-Gon steps in front of the Gurlanin, lightsaber raised._

_The Gurlanin transforms into a full moon._

_The Gurlanin explodes._

Yes! Well done, Luke. Well done!

**Luke. **Can we give it another go? Just one more?

**Qui-Gon. **Not now. You've had enough for one night. Here.

_Qui-Gon gives Luke some more chocolate._

Eat the lot, or Master Che will be after my blood. Same time next week?

**Luke. **Okay. Master Jinn. If you knew my father, you must have known Obi-Wan Kenobi, as well.

**Qui-Gon. **What gives you that idea?

**Luke. **Nothing. I mean, I just knew they were friends at the Jedi Temple, too.

**Qui-Gon. **_[sighs] _Yes. I knew him. Or I thought I did. You'd better be off, Luke. It's getting late.

_Exit all. _


	40. Tycho's Tactlessness

**Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or J.K. ****Rowling.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia, in Revan Tower._

_Leia sits in solitude, writing._

_Han watches Leia curiously._

**Han. **How is she doing it?

**Luke. **Doing what?

**Han. **Getting to all of her classes. I heard her talking to Master Sifo-Dyas, that Precognition being, this morning. They were going on about yesterday's lesson. But Leia can't have been there, because she was with us in Animal Friendship. And Corran Horn tells me she has never missed a Mundane Studies class. But half of them are at the same time as Divination. And she's never missed one of them either.

_Enter Tycho._

**Tycho. **Bad news, Luke. I've just been to see Senator Mothma about the A-wing. She, er, got a bit _shirty _with me. She told me I had got my priorities wrong. She seemed to think I cared more about our winning the Cup than your staying alive, just because I said I didn't care if it threw you off, as long as you caught the Globe first. _[scoffs with disbelief] _From the way she was screaming at me, you would think I said something awful. Then I asked her how much longer she was going to keep it. "As long as necessary, Celchu." I reckon it's time you ordered a new ship, Luke. There's an order form at the back of _Starfighters of the Galaxy_. You could get an XJX-wing, like Marek's got.

**Luke. **I'm not buying anything Marek thinks is good.

_Exit all._


	41. Gunray's Feint

**Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or J.K. ****Rowling.**

_Enter Luke and Qui-Gon, in Vodo Siosk-Baas's classroom, after hours of Force Aura lessons._

**Qui-Gon. **You're expecting too much of yourself. For a thirteen-year-old Jedi, even an indistinct Aura is a huge achievement. You're not passing out anymore, are you?

**Luke. **No. But I thought the Aura would charge down the Tuskens or something, make them disappear.

**Qui-Gon. **The true Force Aura does do that. But you've achieved a great deal in a very short space of time. If the Tuskens appeared at your next Smashball match, you will be able to keep them at bay long enough to get back on the ground.

**Luke. **You said it's harder if there's loads of them.

**Qui-Gon. **I have complete confidence in you. Here. You've earned a drink. It's something from Dex's Diner. You won't have tried it before.

_Qui-Gon removes two bottles of juri juice._

**Luke. **Juri juice! Yeah, I like that stuff.

_Qui-Gon raises an eyebrow._

Oh. Han and Leia brought me some back from CoCo Town.

**Qui-Gon. **I see. Well, let's drink to Revan victory against Shan. Not that I'm supposed to take sides as a Master.

_Luke and Qui-Gon drink juri juice._

**Luke. **What's under a Tusken's mask?

**Qui-Gon. **Hmmm. Well, the only beings who truly know are in no condition to tell us. You see, the Tusken reveals his flesh for only one purpose: his last and worst weapon.

**Luke. **What's that?

**Qui-Gon. **They call it the Force Drain. It's what Tuskens do to those they wish to destroy utterly. I suppose there must be some kind of mouth under there, because they clamp their jaws upon the mouth of the victim and drain their life force.

**Luke. **What . . . ? They kill . . . ?

**Qui-Gon. **No. They still survive, so long as their heart and brain continue to function. But the victim will have no more sense of self - no memory, no sentience, nothing. There's no chance at all for recovery. They just exist . . . as an empty shell. And their soul, their life essence, is completely exhausted. _[drinks] _It's the fate that awaits Obi-Wan Kenobi. It was on the HoloNet this morning. The Republic has given the Tuskens to perform it if they find him.

**Luke. **He deserves it.

**Qui-Gon. **You think so? Do you really think anyone deserves that?

**Luke. **Yes . . . for . . . for some things . . .

_Exit Qui-Gon._

_Enter Mon Mothma, with the A-wing._

**Mothma. **I've just been looking for you in the Revan common room. Well, here it is. We've done everything we could think of. And there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it at all. You've got a very good friend somewhere, Skywalker.

**Luke. **I can have it back? Seriously?

**Mothma. **Seriously. I daresay you'll need to get a feel for it before Benduday's match, won't you? And Skywalker. _Do _try to win, won't you? Or we'll be out of the running for the eighth year in the row, as Lord Vader was kind enough to remind just last night.

_Exit Mothma._

_Enter Han._

**Han. **She gave it to you? Excellent! Listen. Can I have a go on it? Tomorrow?

**Luke. **Yeah. Anything. You know, we should make up with Leia. She was only trying to help.

**Han. **Yeah. All right. She's in the common room now, working for a change.

_Enter Gantoris and Wedge Antilles._

**Wedge. **I wrote them down. But I must have dropped them somewhere.

**Gantoris. **A likely story! _[to Luke and Han] _Good even, my fine young yeomen. Come and clap this loon in irons. He is trying to force entry into the chambers within.

**Han. **Oh, shut up.

**Wedge. **I've lost the passwords. I don't know what I've done with them.

**Luke. **Oddsbodikins.

_Luke, Han, and Wedge enter Revan Tower._

_Enter Lando Calrissian, Nien Nunb, Winter Retrac, and Bria Tharen._

**Bria. **Where did you get it, Luke?

**Nien.** Will you let me have a go?

**Winter. **Have you ridden it yet, Luke?

**Lando.** Shan will have no chance. They are all on Y-wings.

**Wedge. **Can I just _hold _it, Luke?

_Exit all but Luke and Han._

_Enter Leia._

**Luke. **I got it back.

**Han. **See, Leia? There wasn't anything wrong with it.

**Leia. **Well, there _might _have been. At least now you know it's safe.

**Luke. **Yeah. I suppose so. I'd better put it upstairs.

**Han. **I'll take it. I've got to give Viceroy his rat tonic.

_Exit Han with the A-wing._

**Luke. **Can I sit down then?

**Leia. **I suppose so.

_Luke sits._

**Luke. **How are you getting through all this stuff?

**Leia. **Oh, well . . . you know . . . working hard.

**Luke. **Why don't you just drop a couple of subjects?

**Leia. **I couldn't do that.

**Luke. **Precognition looks terrible.

**Leia. **It's not. It's wonderful. It's my favorite subject. It is . . .

_Enter Han with a blood-stained bed sheet._

**Han. **Look! Look!

**Leia. **Han, what . . . ?

**Han. **Viceroy! Look! Viceroy! Blood! He's gone! And you want to know what was on the floor?

**Leia. **N-no.

**Han. **White nexu hairs!

**Leia. **Perhaps you just lose your rat.

**Han. **I haven't lost anything. Your nexu killed him.

**Leia. **Rubbish.

**Han. **Luke. You've seen the way that bloodthirsty beast of hers is always lurking about. And now Viceroy is gone.

**Leia. **Well, maybe you should learn to take better care of your familiars.

**Han. **Your nexu killed him.

**Leia. **Did not.

**Han. **Did.

**Leia. **Didn't.

**Luke. **Look, Leia. I think the evidence here is . . .

**Leia. **Oh, take his side. I knew you would. First the A-wing, now this? Everything is my fault. Just leave me alone, Luke. I've got work to do.

_Exit Leia._

_Enter Jacen, Ben, and Mara._

**Jacen. **Come on, Han. You were always saying how boring Viceroy was. And he's been off-color for ages. He's been wasting away. It was probably better for him to snuff it quickly, one swallow. He probably didn't feel a thing.

**Mara. **Jacen.

**Ben. **All he did was eat and sleep, Han. You said it yourself.

**Han. **He bit Baba for us once. Remember, Luke?

**Luke. **Yeah. That's true.

**Jacen. **His finest hour. Let the scar on Baba's finger stand as a lasting tribute to his memory. Oh, come on, Han. Get yourself down to CoCo Town and buy a new rodent. What's the point of moaning?

_Exit all._


	42. Practice

**Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or J.K. ****Rowling.**

_Enter Luke, Han, Tycho, Jacen, Ben, Tenel Ka, Lowbacca, Tahiri, and Garven Dreis._

_As the team prepares for their final practice, Han and Dreis watch._

_Dreis examines the A-wing._

**Dreis. **Look at the balance on it. If the X-wing series has a fault, it's a slight list to starboard. You often find they develop a little drag after a few years. They've updated the hyperdrive too, a bit faster than the Y-wings. It reminds me of the old N-1 starfighters. A pity they've stopped making them. I learned to fly on one, and a very fine ship it was too.

**Tycho. **Master Dreis. Is it okay if Luke gets his A-wing back? We need to practice.

**Dreis. **Oh, right. Here you are then, Skywalker. I'll sit over here with Solo.

_As Luke boards his A-wing, Dreis sits with Han in the stands._

**Tycho. **Luke. I've just found out who Shan is playing as seeker. It's Callista Ming. She's a fourth year. And she's pretty good. I really hoped she wouldn't be fit. She's had some problem with injuries. On the other hand, she flies an ARC-170, which is going to look like a joke next to the A-wing. Okay, everyone. Let's go.

_The team practices so well, not even Tycho can complain._

I can't see what is going to stop us tomorrow, not unless . . . Luke. You've sorted out your Tusken problem, haven't you?

**Luke. **Yeah.

**Jacen. **The Tuskens won't turn up again, Tycho. Yoda would go ballistic.

**Tycho. **Well, let's hope not. Anyway, good work, everyone. Let's get back to the Tower, turn in early.

**Luke. **I'm staying out for a bit. Han wants a go in the A-wing.

_Exit all but Luke, Han, and Dreis._

_Dreis sleeps._

Here you go.

_Luke and Han take turns, flying the A-wing until nightfall._

_Dreis awakes._

**Dreis. **Why didn't you two wake me up? Let's go.

_Luke and Han land and follow Dreis._

_Enter Obi-Wan Kenobi, disguised as a vornskr._

_Luke stops._

_Exit Kenobi._

**Han. **What's the matter?

_Reaching into the Force, Han generates a ball of light._

_Enter Anji._

Get out of here.

_Exit Anji._

_Han throws a stone after Anji._

See? She's still letting her wander about wherever she wants. She's probably washing Viceroy down with a couple of avians now.

_Exit all._


	43. Revan v, Shan

**Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or J.K. ****Rowling.**

_Enter Luke and Han, in the Great Hall._

**Han. **_[about Marek] _Did you see his face? He can't believe it. This is brilliant.

_Enter Tycho, Jacen, Ben, Tenel Ka, Lowbacca, and Tahiri._

**Tycho. **Put it here, Luke.

_Luke sets the A-wing on the table._

_Enter Biggs Darklighter._

**Biggs. **Luke. Congratulations on having found such a superb replacement for your X-wing.

**Luke. **Thanks, Biggs.

_Enter Threepio and Tece Fortine._

**Tece. **Can I hold it, Luke?

_Luke hands the A-wing to Tece._

**Threepio. **Now, now, Tece. No sabotage. Tece and I have got a bet on. Ten dataries on the outcome of the match.

_Tece sets the A-wing down._

**Tece. **Thanks.

_Exit Tece._

**Threepio. **Try and win, Luke. I haven't got ten dataries.

_Exit Threepio._

_Enter Galen Marek, Cornelius Evazan, and Ponda Baba._

**Marek. **Are you sure you can manage that ship, Skywalker?

**Luke. **Yeah. I reckon so.

**Marek. **It's got plenty of special features, hasn't it? It's a shame it doesn't come with a parachute, in case you get too close to a Tusken.

_Evazan and Baba laugh._

**Luke. **It's a pity you can't attach a cybernetic limb to yours, Marek. Then it could catch the Globe for you.

_Revans laugh._

_Exit Marek, Baba, and Evazan._

_The Revan team enters the locker rooms._

_Exit Han._

**Tycho. **You know what we've got to do. If we lose this match, we're out of the running. Just . . . just fly like you did in practice the other day, and we'll be okay.

_The Revans board their ships and fly onto the field._

_Enter Callista Ming, a gray-eyed girl with short blond hair; Geith Eris, the redheaded captain and chaser with a gold earring; Aqinos, a lumpy-headed chaser with blue-green skin and black eyes; Gali, the female chaser; Kina Ha, the long-necked keeper with pale blue skin and emotionless black eyes; Ash Jarvee, the technokinetic beater; and Arligan Zey, the strict beater with graying hair._

_The Shans board their ships and fly onto the field._

_Enter Garven Dreis._

**Dreis. **Celchu, Eris. Shake hands.

_Tycho and Geith shake hands._

Board your ships. On my whistle . . . three . . . two . . . one . . .

_Enter Wes Janson and Mon Mothma, in the stands._

**Janson. **_[into megaphone] _They're off, and the big excitement this match is the RZ-1 A-wing interceptor that Luke Skywalker is flying. According to _Starfighters of the Galaxy_, the A-wing is going to be the ship of choice for the planetary teams at this year's Galactic Championship. . . .

**Mothma. **Janson. Would you mind telling us what is going on in the match?

**Janson. **_[into megaphone] _Right you are, Senator. Just giving a little background information. The A-wing, incidentally, has a Sirplex Z-9 deflector shield, and . . .

**Mothma. **Janson.

**Janson. **Okay, okay. Revan in position. Tahiri Veila of Revan heading for the goal . . .

_As Luke streaks past Tahiri, he notices Callista's examining him._

**Jacen. **Show her your acceleration, Luke.

_As Tahiri scores a goal, Callista chases after Luke._

_Luke dives for the Globe, Callista on his tail._

_As Luke nears the Globe, Zey hits him with a dovin basal._

_Exit Golden Globe._

**Revans. **O!

_Ben hits a dovin basal at Zey, who dodges._

**Janson. **_[into megaphone] _Revan leads by eighty points to zero. And look at that A-wing go. Skywalker is really putting it through its paces now. See it turn. Ming's ARC-170 is just no match for it. The A-wing's Novaldex J-77 Event Horizon engines are really noticeable in those long . . .

**Mothma. **Janson! Are you being paid to advertise A-wings? Get on with the commentary!

_Geith, Aqinos, and Gali score one goal each._

_Luke veers around Aqinos, as he sees the Globe._

_Callista blocks Luke, who swerves around her._

**Tycho. **Luke! This is no time to be a gentlebeing! Knock her out of her ship, if you have to!

_Callista grins._

_Exit Golden Globe._

_Callista stalks Luke's A-wing._

**Luke. **_[aside] _All right, then. If she wants to tail me, she'll have to pay the consequences.

_Luke dives; Callista follows._

_Luke hastily pulls out of the dive; Callista hurtles downward._

_Luke sees the Globe._

_Luke chases after the Globe, Callista on his tail._

**Callista. **O!

_Enter Galen Marek, Cornelius Evazan, Ponda Baba, and Moradmin Bast, all disguised as three Tusken Raiders._

**Luke. **_[removes lightsaber] __Tutaminis_.

_Enter Force Aura, a krayt dragon which charges down the Kuns._

_Marek, Evazan, Baba, and Bast collapse._

_Luke catches the Golden Globe._

_Dreis blows his whistle._

_Both Revans and Shans land and deboard their ships._

**Tycho. **That's my boy.

_Tenel Ka and Tahiri kiss Luke._

_Jacen and Lowbacca hug Luke._

_Enter Han._

**Han. **Yes! Yes! Yes!

_Enter Threepio._

**Threepio. **Well _done_, Luke. Ten dataries to me! I must find Tece. Excuse me.

_Exit Threepio._

_Enter Nien Nunb and Chewbacca._

**Nien. **Good for you, Luke.

**Chewbacca. **Kriffing brilliant!

_Enter Qui-Gon._

**Qui-Gon. **That was quite some Aura.

**Luke. **The Tuskens didn't affect me at all. I didn't feel a thing.

**Qui-Gon. **They would be because they, er, weren't Tuskens. Come and see.

_Enter Mon Mothma, Galen Marek, Cornelius Evazan, Ponda Baba, and Moradmin Bast._

You gave Master Marek quite a fright.

**Mothma. **An unworthy trick! A low and cowardly attempt to sabotage the Revan seeker! Detention for all of you! And fifty points from Kun! I shall be speaking to Master Yoda about this. Make no mistake. Ah, here he comes now.

_Exit all but Luke and Han._

_Han laughs._

_Enter Jacen and Ben._

**Ben. **Come on, Luke. Party! Revan common room, now.

**Luke. **Right.

_Exit all._


	44. The Celebration

**Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or J.K. ****Rowling.**

_Enter Luke and Han, in Revan Tower._

_Enter Jacen and Ben, with supplies of sweets and bottles of juri juice._

_Enter Tenel Ka Djo._

**Tenel Ka. **How did you do that?

**Jacen. **_[aside, to Luke] _With a little help from Sivrak, Viceroy, Ben, and Tan.

_Enter Leia, reading._

**Luke. **Did you even come to the match?

**Leia. **Of course I did. And I'm very glad he won. And I think you did very well. But I need to this read by Primeday.

**Luke. **Come on, Leia. Come and have some food.

**Leia. **I can't, Luke. I've still got four hundred twenty-two pages to read. Anyway . . . _he _doesn't want me to join.

**Han. **If Viceroy hadn't just been _eaten_, he could have had some of this chewgrub. He used to really like them.

_Leia sobs._

_Exit Leia._

**Luke. **Can't you give her a break?

**Han. **No. If she just _acted _like she was sorry . . . But she'll never admit she's wrong, Leia. She's still acting like Viceroy went on vacation or something.

_Exit all._


	45. Kenobi's Break-In Latest

**Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or J.K. ****Rowling.**

_Enter Obi-Wan Kenobi, in the Jedi Temple._

_Kenobi approaches Revan Tower._

_Enter Gantoris._

**Gantoris. **Huzzah, good sir.

_Kenobi removes the piece of durasheet Anji stole from Wedge Antilles._

**Kenobi. **Flibbertigibbet.

_Gantoris steps aside._

_Kenobi steps into Revan Tower, armed with a vibroblade._

_Exit Gantoris._

_Kenobi ascends into Han Solo's dormitory._

_Enter Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Wedge Antilles, Lando Calrissian, and Nien Nunb, all asleep._

_Kenobi raises his vibroblade and slashes Solo's bed curtains._

Where are you, you little rat?

_Han awakes and sees Kenobi._

**Han. **Aaaaarrrrgghh! No!

_Kenobi's blue-gray eyes widen in alarm._

_Kenobi runs out of the dormitory and returns to the form of an auburn-haired vornskr._

_Exit Kenobi._

_All awake._

**Nien. **What's going on?

_Lando lights a glowrod._

**Han. **Kenobi! Obi-Wan Kenobi! With a vibroblade!

**Luke. **_What_?

**Han. **Here! Just now! He slashed my curtains and woke me up.

**Lando. **You sure you weren't dreaming, Han?

**Han. **Look at the curtains! I tell you, he was here.

_All Revans awake._

**Liam. **_[off stage] _Who shouted?

**Dak. **_[off stage] _What are you doing?

_All male third years return to the common room, lighting the glowpanels._

**Lando. **Are you _sure _you weren't dreaming, Han?

**Han. **I'm telling you, I saw him.

**Janson.** _[off stage] _What's all the noise?

**Threepio. **_[off stage] _Senator Mothma told us to go to bed.

_Enter all Revans._

**Jacen. **Excellent. Are we carrying on?

**Threepio. **Everyone. Back upstairs.

**Han. **Threepio. Obi-Wan Kenobi was here, in our dormitory, with a vibroblade. He woke me up.

**Threepio. **Nonsense. You had too much to eat, Han, had a nightmare.

**Han. **I'm telling you . . .

_Enter Mon Mothma._

**Mothma. **Now, really! Enough is enough. I am delighted Revan won the match, but this is getting ridiculous. Threepio. I expected better from you.

**Threepio. **Senator. I certainly didn't authorize this. I was just telling them all to get back to bed. My brother Han here had a nightmare . . .

**Han. **It wasn't a nightmare! Senator, I woke up, and Obi-Wan Kenobi was standing over me with a vibroblade!

**Mothma. **That's preposterous, Solo. How could Obi-Wan Kenobi possibly have gotten through the portrait hole?

**Han. **I don't know how he got in. I was a bit busy, dodging his vibroblade.

**Mothma. **Threepio. Have you seen Lord Gantoris?

**Threepio. **_[searches around] _Oh, he's over there, Senator.

**Mothma. **Lord Gantoris. Lord Gantoris.

_Enter Gantoris._

**Gantoris. **How may I serve you, madam?

**Mothma. **Lord Gantoris. Is it possible that you let a mysterious being into Revan Tower tonight?

**Gantoris. **_[walking through holographs, flirting with females or playing dejarik in cantinas] _Certainly, good lady. He had the password. He had the whole week's, in fact . . . _[spreads his arms, knocking over some females] _. . . on a little piece of durasheet.

**Mothma. **_[to all] _Which being, which abysmally foolish being, wrote down the passwords, and then proceeded to lose them?

_Wedge raises his hand._

Is it always going to be you, Antilles?

**Wedge. **I'm afraid so, mistress.

**Mothma. **While we know Obi-Wan Kenobi is gone tonight, I think we can safely assume he will, at some future time, attempt to return. I speak for the entire staff when I say, "We are taking every precaution to ensure your safety." But you must take it upon yourselves to act _responsibly_. Understood?

**All. **Yes, Senator.

**Mothma. **Very well, then. Off you go.

_Exit all but Luke and Leia._

**Luke. **He was right there. He was close enough to touch. I could have killed him.

_Exit all._


	46. Chewbacca's Loyalty

**Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or J.K. ****Rowling.**

_Enter Luke and Han, in front of the Statue of Xim._

**Luke. **Do you reckon I should tell someone?

**Han. **We know he's not coming in through Dex's Donuts. We'd have heard if the shop had been broken into.

_Enter all female second year Jedi younglings, in the Great Hall._

I was asleep, and I heard this ripping noise. And I though it was my dream, you know? But then there was this draft. I woke up and one side of the hangings on my bed had been pulled down. I rolled over. And I saw him, standing over me, like a Givin with loads of filthy hair, holding this cortosis vibroblade. It must have been 1.8 kilograms. And he looked at me, and I looked at him. And he _scampered_. _[to Luke] _But why though? Why did he run?

_Exit second years._

**Luke. **He must have know he'd have had a job getting back out of the Temple, once you'd yelled and woke beings up. He'd have had to kill the whole House to escape. And then he would have to face the Masters.

_Enter Wedge and Mynock, who drops a villip on the table._

_Exit Mynock._

**Han. **Run for it, Wedge.

_Exit Wedge._

_The villip twists into an impressive imitation of Syal Antilles's face._

**Villip. **Wedge Antilles! I would never have expected this of you! You have brought dishonor upon the House of Antilles! You're quite lucky Obi-Wan Kenobi didn't murder the lot of you! I should pull you out of that place before you cause any more damage!

_The villip reverts back into its original form and dies._

_The Kuns laugh._

**Luke. **_[aside] _Unfortunately, that's not the problems Wedge is having to deal with now. After last night's incident, Senator Mothma has not only banned Wedge from CoCo Town, but she also refuses to let him know the new password. He has to wait outside the holograph of Kara and her wampa bodyguards, and wait for one of us to say it. It's hard not to pity him.

_Enter R2-D2, who delivers hololetter from Chewbacca._

_Enter Chewbacca, a holographic imitation of the brown-furred Wookiee._

_Exit Artoo._

**Chewbacca. **Luke and Han. How about having tea with me this afternoon around eighteen hundred hours? I'll come and collect you from the Temple. Wait for me in the Main Entrance. You're not allowed out on your own. Cheers.

_Exit Chewbacca._

**Han. **He probably wants to hear all about Kenobi.

_Luke and Han enter the Main Entrance, a few hours later._

_Enter Chewbacca._

All right, Chewie? I suppose you want to hear about Benduday night, do you?

**Chewbacca. **I've already heard all about it.

_Luke, Han, and Chewbacca leave the Jedi Temple._

**Han. **Oh.

_Luke, Han, and Chewbacca enter Chewbacca's wroshyr treehouse._

_Chewbacca has a hairy brown suit, hanging._

**Luke. **What's that for, Chewie?

**Chewbacca. **Boga's case against the NRMOC this Benduday. He and I are going to Coruscant together. I've booked two beds on the _Lady Luck_.

_Chewbacca pours tea._

I've got something to discuss with you two.

**Luke. **What?

**Chewbacca. **Leia.

**Han. **What about her?

**Chewbacca. **_[growls] _She's in a right state; that's what. She's been coming down to visit me a lot since Life Day. She's been feeling lonely. First you weren't talking to her because of the A-wing; now you're not talking to her because her nexu . . .

**Han. **_[angry] _. . . ate Viceroy!

**Chewbacca. **Because her nexu acted like all nexus do. She cried a fair few times, you know. She's going through a rough time at the moment. She's bitten off more than she can chew, if you ask me, all the work she's trying to do. She still found time to work on Boga's case, mind. She's found some really good stuff for me. I reckon she'll stand a good chance now.

**Luke. **Chewie. We should have helped. Sorry.

**Chewbacca. **I'm not blaming you. The Force knows you've got enough to deal with. I just thought friendship would mean more to you than starfighters or womp rats.

_Luke and Han exchange looks._

She was really upset when Kenobi almost stabbed you, Han. She's got her heart in the right place, Leia had. And your not talking to her . . .

**Han. **If she'd just get rid of that nexu, I'd speak to her again. But she's still sticking up for it. It's a lunatic, and she won't hear a word against it.

**Chewbacca. **Well, beings can be rather silly about their familiars.

_Exit all._


	47. Who's There?

**Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or J.K. ****Rowling.**

_Enter Luke and Han, in Revan Tower._

**Han. **CoCo Town, next weekend. _[aside, to Luke] _What do you reckon?

**Luke. **_[aside, to Han] _Well, Jurokk hasn't done anything about the passage into Dex's Donuts . . .

_Enter Leia._

**Leia. **Luke. If you go to CoCo Town again, I will tell Mothma about the map.

**Han. **Can you hear someone talking, Luke?

**Leia. **Han. How can you let Luke go with you? After what Obi-Wan Kenobi nearly did to _you_? I mean it, I'll tell . . .

**Han. **So now you're trying to get Luke expelled? Haven't you done enough damage?

_Exit Leia._

_[to Luke] _So what about it? Come on. Last time we went, you didn't even see anything. You haven't even been inside Arakyd Industries yet.

**Luke. **Okay. But this time I'm taking the cloaking device.

_Luke packs his cloaking device into his bag and pockets the Star Map._

_Luke and Han enter the Great Hall._

_After breakfast, Han heads for CoCo Town._

Bye! See you when you get back.

_Han grins._

_Exit all but Luke._

_Luke veers from Revan Tower and approaches the Statue of Xim._

_Luke examines the Star Map._

_Enter holographic image of Wedge Antilles._

_Luke hastily puts the Star Map in his bag._

_[taps Statue of Xim] __Mechu-deru_.

_Luke tosses his bag into the passage._

_Enter Wedge._

**Wedge. **Luke. I'd forgotten you weren't going to CoCo Town either.

**Luke. **Hello, Wedge. What are you up to?

**Wedge. **Nothing. Want a game of sabacc?

**Luke. **Er, not now. I was going to go to the Archives and do that Anzati essay for Jinn.

**Wedge. **I'll come with you. I haven't done it either.

**Luke. **Er, hang on. I forgot. I finished it last night.

**Wedge. **Then you can help me. I don't understand that thing about the garlic at all. Do they have to eat it or . . .

_Enter Vader._

**Vader. **And what are you two doing here? An odd place to meet . . .

**Luke. **We didn't meet here. We just . . . met here.

**Vader. **Indeed? You have a habit of turning up in unexpected places, Skywalker. And you are very rarely there for no good reason. I suggest the pair of you return to Revan Tower, where you belong.

_Exit Vader._

_Luke and Wedge return to Revan Tower._

**Luke. **_[to Wedge] _Hang on. I think I've left my Anzati essay back in the Archives. I'll be right back.

_Exit Wedge._

_Luke returns to the Statue of Xim._

_Mechu-deru_.

_Luke slips on the cloaking device and sneaks through the passage into Dex's Donuts._

_Enter Han._

It's me.

**Han. **What kept you?

**Luke. **I ran into Vader.

_Luke and Han walk through CoCo Town._

**Han. **_[through the corner of his mouth] _Where are you? Are you still here? This feels weird.

_Luke and Han arrive on Praesitlyn and enter the Intergalactic Communications Center._

_Han pretends to examine a droid to send a message to Kyle on Mygeeto, as Luke looks around._

_Luke and Han leave Praesitlyn._

_Luke and Han arrive on Vulpter and enter Arakyd Industries, looking around._

_Luke and Han leave with pockets filled with stink capsules, Endorian berries, shadowroot soap, and carnivorous seaweed._

_Luke and Han approach the Valley of the Jedi._

Even the Jedi ghosts avoid it. I asked Canderous. He said a very rough crowd lives here. No one can get in. Jacen and Ben have tried, obviously. But all the entrances are sealed shut.

_Enter Marek, Evazan, and Baba._

**Marek. **Well, look who it is. Shopping for your new dream home? A bit grand for you, isn't it, Solo? I heard your family sleep in one room. Is that true?

**Han. **Shut your mouth, Marek.

**Marek. **O! Not very friendly. Boys, I think it's time to show Solo how to respect his superiors.

**Han. **_[laughs] _I hope you don't mean yourself.

**Luke. **_[aside, to Han] _Leave it to me.

**Marek. **We were just discussing your friend Chewbacca, just trying to imagine what he's saying to the NRMOC. Do you think he'll cry when they cut off the varactyl's . . .

_Luke tosses a pile of mud at Marek's side._

Who's there?

_Luke tosses more mud at the three Kuns._

_[to Evazan and Baba] _Don't just stand there. Do something.

**Evazan. **What?

_Luke tosses mud at the Kuns and even trips them._

_Luke drags Marek across the mud._

**Han. **What's up, Marek? Lost your skis?

_The Kuns try to run._

**Marek. **Get out of the way. Move!

**Baba. **Marek. Wait! Wait!

_As Luke trips Baba, the cloaking device falls, revealing his face, apparently floating in the middle of no where._

**Marek. **Aaarrghhh!

_Exit Kuns._

**Han. **Kriffing hell, Luke. You'd better go. Marek will tell the first Master he sees.

**Luke. **See you later.

_Exit all._


	48. Vader's Grudge

**Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or J.K. ****Rowling.**

_Enter Luke, exiting the Statue of Xim._

_Luke leaves his cloaking device in the passage._

_Luke heads for Revan Tower._

_Enter Vader._

**Vader. **Skywalker. What are you doing, wandering the corridors? Come with me.

_Luke follows Vader into his quarters._

Galen Marek has just been to see me with a very interesting story, Skywalker. He tells me he was up near the Valley of the Jedi, when he ran into Solo, apparently alone. Master Marek states that he was standing, talking to Solo, when a large amount of mud hit him in the head. How do you think that could have happened?

**Luke. **I don't know, Lord.

**Vader. **Master Marek then saw an extraordinary apparition. Can you imagine what it might have been, Skywalker.

**Luke. **No, Lord.

**Vader. **It was your head, Skywalker, floating in midair.

**Luke. **Perhaps Marek should see Master Che, if he is having hallucin . . .

**Vader. **He was not hallucinating. If your head was in CoCo Town, so was the rest of you. So . . . everyone from the Supreme Chancellor downward has been trying to keep Luke Skywalker safe from Obi-Wan Kenobi. But famous Luke Skywalker is a law unto himself. Let the ordinary beings worry about his safety. Famous Luke Skywalker goes where he wants to, with no thought of the consequences. How extraordinarily like your father you are, Skywalker. He, too, was exceedingly arrogant, strutting about the Temple . . .

**Luke. **My father did not strut. And nor do I.

**Vader. **Your father didn't set much store for the rules either. Rules were for lesser mortals, not Smashball heroes. His head was so swollen . . .

**Luke. **Shut up!

**Vader. **What did you say to me, Skywalker?

**Luke. **I told you to shut up about my father. I know the truth, all right? He saved your life. Yoda told me. You wouldn't even be here, if it weren't for my father.

**Vader. **And did the Master tell you the circumstances in which your father saved my life? Or did he consider the details too unpleasant for precious Skywalker's delicate ears?

_Luke bites his lip._

I would hate for you to run away with a false impression of your father, Skywalker. Have you been imagining some glorious act of heroism? Then let me correct you: your saintly father and his friends played a highly amusing joke on me that would have resulted in my death, if your father hadn't gotten cold feet at the last moment. There was nothing brave about what he did. He was saving his own hide as much as mine. Had their joke succeeded, he would have been expelled from the Jedi Temple. Turn out your pockets.

_Luke doesn't move._

Turn out your pockets.

_Luke pulls out his Arakyd bag and Star Map._

**Luke. **Han brought them back from CoCo Town last time, gave them to me.

**Vader. **Indeed? And you've been carrying them around ever since. How very touching. _[picks up the Star Map] _And what's this?

**Luke. **A spare piece of durasheet.

**Vader. **Really? Open it.

_Luke does so._

_Vader removes his lightsaber and taps the Star Map._

Reveal your secrets.

_Nothing happens._

Lord Darth Vader, Supreme Commander of the Jedi Temple, demands you to yield the information you conceal.

_Enter Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Nute Gunray, holographic images of the four teenage Jedi._

**Qui-Gon. **Master Sivrak offers his compliments to Lord Vader and requests that he keep his abnormally large nose out of other beings' business.

**Anakin. **Master Tan agrees with Master Sivrak and would like to add that Lord Vader is an ugly _chakaar_.

**Kenobi. **Master Ben would like to register his astonishment that a _di'kut _like that ever became a Master.

**Gunray. **Master Viceroy bids Lord Vader good day and advises his him to wash his hair, the barve.

**Vader. **Well, we'll see about this. _[activates his hyperdrive] _Jinn. I'd like a word.

_Enter Qui-Gon._

**Qui-Gon. **You called, Darth?

**Vader. **I certainly did.

**Qui-Gon. **Luke. Are you all right?

**Vader. **That remains to be seen. I have just confiscated a rather curious artifact from Master Skywalker. Take a look, Jinn. This is supposed to be your area of expertise. Clearly, it's full of the dark side.

_Qui-Gon examines the Star Map with shock._

**Qui-Gon. **I seriously doubt it, Darth. It looks to me as if it is merely a durasheet that insults anyone who tries to read it. I suspect it's an Arakyd product.

**Vader. **Indeed? You think Arakyd Industries could supply him with such a thing? You don't think it was more likely that he got it _directly from the manufacturers_?

**Qui-Gon. **You mean, by Sivrak or one of these beings? Luke. Do you know these beings?

**Luke. **No.

**Qui-Gon. **You see, Darth. I suspect it is an Arakyd product. Nevertheless, I shall peruse any hidden qualities it might possess. It is, after all, as you say, my area of expertise.

_Enter Han._

**Han. **I gave Luke that stuff. I bought it in Arakyd Industries ages ago.

**Qui-Gon. **Well, that seems to clear everything up. Luke, Han. Will come with me, please?

_Exit Vader._

_Luke and Han follow Qui-Gon into his quarters._

Now, I haven't the faintest idea, Luke, how this map came to be in your possession. But quite frankly, I am astounded that you didn't hand it in. Did it never occur to you that this, in the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi, is a map to you? You know, your father never set much store by the rules either. But he and your mother gave their lives to save yours. And gambling their sacrifice by wandering around the Temple, unprotected, seems to be a rather poor way to repay them. Now, I will not cover for you again, Luke. I want you to return to Revan Tower and stay there. And don't take any detours. If you do, I shall know.

**Luke. **_[as he and Han turn away] _Master. Why did Vader think I'd gotten it from the manufacturers?

**Qui-Gon. **Because . . . because these mapmakers would have wanted to lure you out of the Temple. They would think it extremely entertaining.

**Luke. **Do you _know _them?

**Qui-Gon. **We've met.

_Exit Qui-Gon._

_Luke and Han head for Revan Tower._

**Han. **It's my fault. I persuaded you to go. Jinn's right. It was stupid. We shouldn't have done it.

_Enter Leia._

Come to gloat? Or have you just been to tell on us?

**Leia. **No. _[removes a hololetter] _I just thought you ought to know. Chewie lost the cast. Boga is going to be executed.

_Exit all._


	49. Marek's Comeuppance

**Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or J.K. ****Rowling.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia, in Revan Tower._

**Leia.** _[indicates hololetter] _He sent me this.

_Enter Chewbacca, holographic image of the shaking Wookiee._

**Chewbacca.** Leia. We lost. I'm a-allowed to bring h-him back to the Jedi T-Temple. Execution date to b-be set. B-Boga has enjoyed Coruscant. I won't forget all of the h-help you gave us. Ch-Chewbacca out.

_Exit Chewbacca._

**Luke. **They can't do this. They can't. Boga isn't dangerous.

**Leia. **Count Dooku has frightened the NRMOC into it. You know what he's like. They're a bunch of doddery old fools. And they were scared. There will be an appeal, of course. There always is. Only I can't see any hope. Nothing will have changed.

**Han. **Yeah. It will. You won't have to do all of the work alone this time, Leia. We'll help.

**Leia. **Oh, Han.

_Leia flings her arms around Han._

Han. I'm really, really sorry about Viceroy.

**Han. **Oh, well, he was old. And he was a bit useless. You never know, Mom and Dad might get me a droid now.

_Luke, Han, and Leia head down to see Chewbacca._

_Enter Chewbacca and Drang._

**Chewbacca. **It's all my fault. I got all tongue-tied. They were all sitting there in black robes. And I kept dropping my notes and forgetting all those dates you wrote down, Leia. And then Dooku Marek stood up, and . . . well, you can imagine. He said Boga was a deadly and dangerous creature who would kill you as soon as look at you. And then he asked the worse, he did, old Dooku. And the NRMOC just did exactly what he told them.

**Han. **There's still the appeal. Don't give up yet. We're working on it.

**Chewbacca. **It's no good, Han. The NRMOC is right in Count Dooku's pocket. I'm just going to make sure the rest of Boga's time is the happiest she has ever had. I owe her that.

_Exit Chewbacca._

_Enter Marek, Evazan, and Baba._

**Marek. **_[to Evazan and Baba] _Did I tell you? Father said I can keep the varactyl's head. I think I'll donate it to Revan Tower.

**Evazan. **Wizard.

_Luke, Han, and Leia march over to Marek, Evazan, and Kun._

**Marek. **Oh, this is going to be rich.

**Evazan. **Look who is.

**Marek. **Ah, are you coming to see the show?

**Leia. **You. You foul, loathsome, evil, little slime beetle!

_Leia removes her lightsaber and holds it at Marek's throat._

**Han. **Leia. He's not worth it.

_Leia puts away her lightsaber._

_Kuns laugh._

_Leia slaps Marek in the face._

**Evazan. **Marek. Are you okay?

**Baba. **Let's get out of here.

**Marek. **Not a word to anyone. Understood?

_Exit Marek, Evazan, and Baba._

**Leia. **That felt good.

**Han. **Not good. Brilliant!

**Leia. **Luke. You'd better beat him in the Smashball final, because I can't stand it if Kun wins.

_Exit all._


	50. Skipping Bibble

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and Han, entering Sio Bibble's classroom._

_Enter Bibble._

**Bibble. **You're late, boys. Come along quickly. Lightsabers out. We're experimenting with Inspire today. We've already divided into pairs.

_Luke and Han sit down, lightsabers out._

**Han. **Where has Leia gone?

**Luke. **_[looks around] _That's weird. Maybe . . . maybe she went to the 'fresher or something.

_Luke and Han use Inspire, a light side ability to inspire hope and courage, on each other._

_Exit all but Luke and Han._

**Han. **_[grins] _She could have done with Inspire too.

**Luke.** _[aside] _But Inspire begins to fade, and Leia still hasn't shown up. I'm beginning to grow worried.

**Han. **You don't think Marek did something to her, do you?

_Enter Kara and her Gammorrean guards._

**Both. **Flibbertigibbet.

_Enter Leia, asleep._

_Luke revives Leia._

**Leia. **Wh-what? Is it time to go? W-which lesson have we got now?

**Luke. **Divination. But it's not for another twenty minutes. Leia. Why didn't you come to The Force?

**Leia. **What? Oh, no. I forgot to go to The Force.

**Luke. **But how could you forget? You were with us until we were right outside the classroom.

**Leia. **I don't believe it. Was Governor Bibble angry? O! It was Marek. I was thinking about him, and I lost track of time.

**Han. **You know what, Leia? I reckon you're cracking up. You're trying to do too much.'

**Leia. **No, I'm not. I just made a mistake; that's all. I'd better go and see Governor Bibble, apologize. I'll see you in Divination.

_Exit all._


	51. Premonitions

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia, in Roan Shryne's classroom._

**Han. **_[notices crystal balls] _I thought we weren't starting premonitions until next term.

**Luke. **Don't complain. This means we're done with darksight.

_Enter Shryne._

**Shryne. **Good day to you. I have decided to introduce Force visions a little earlier than I had planned. The Force had informed me that your trials in June will concern premonitions. And I am anxious to give you sufficient practice.

**Leia. **_[scoffs] _The Force has informed him? Who sets the exams? He does.

**Shryne. **Premonitions are a particularly refined art. I do not expect any of you to see when first you peer into the Force's infinite depths. We shall start by relaxing the conscious mind and external eyes, so as to open yourself to the mysteries of the Force. Perhaps if we are lucky, some of you will see before the end of class.

_All meditate, reaching into the Force, striving to sense something._

**Luke. **Seen anything yet?

**Han. **Yeah. There's a burn on the table. Someone has dropped their glowrod.

**Leia. **This is such a waste of time. I could be practicing something useful. I could be catching up on Inspire. I could . . .

_Shryne approaches their table._

**Shryne. **Now, really! You are disturbing the clairvoyant vibrations. _[looks through Luke's crystal ball] _There _is _something here, something moving. But what is it? My dear. It is here, plainer than ever before, stalking toward you . . . growing ever closer. The Vua . . .

**Leia. **Oh, for Edge's sake! Not that ridiculous Vua'sa again!

_Shryne, Winter, and Bria glare at Leia._

**Shryne. **My dear. From the moment you stepped foot in my class, I sensed you did not possess the proper spirit for the noble art of Divination. While you are young in years, the heart that beats beneath you bosom is as shriveled as an old maid's, your soul as dry as the pages of the holobooks of which you so desperately cleave.

**Leia. **Fine! I give up. I'm leaving.

_Exit Leia._

**Bria. **O! Master Shryne. I've just remembered. You saw her leaving, didn't you? "Around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever." You said it _ages _ago, Master.

**Shryne. **Yes, my dear. I did indeed know that Miss Organa would be leaving us. One hopes, however, that one may have mistaken the signs. Precognition can be a burden, you know.

_Exit all._


	52. Anji and the Vua'sa

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, in Revan Tower._

_Luke glances out the window._

_Enter Obi-Wan Kenobi, disguised as a vornskr, and Anji._

**Luke.** _[aside] _What can this mean? If Anji can see the vornskr, too, how can it be an omen of death?

_Enter Han, who Luke wakes up._

_[to Han] _Han. Han. Wake up.

**Han. **Huh?

**Luke. **I need you to tell me if you see something.

_Exit Kenobi and Anji._

**Han. **It's all dark, Luke. What are you talking about?

**Luke. **Down there. _[aside] _They're gone. Where have they gone?

_Han returns to sleep._

_Exit all._


	53. The Smashball Final

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter all Jedi, in the Great Hall._

**Luke. **_[aside] _I've never seen the Temple in a more stressful atmosphere. Even Marek looks paler than usual.

**Tycho. **Come on, team. Eat. You'll need your strength.

_Tycho does not eat himself._

_The Revan and Kun players leave for the field._

**Callista. **Good luck, Luke.

_Luke blushes._

_Exit all but the Revan team._

**Tycho. **Okay. No wind to speak of. Alderaan is a bit bright. That could impair your vision. Watch out for it. The ground's fairly hard. Good. That will give us a fast takeoff. Okay. It's time. Let's go.

_The Revans board their ships and fly onto the field._

_Enter Moradmin Bast, Reck Desh, Cad Bane, Sora Bulq, Mosh Barris, Bruck Chun, and Galen Marek._

_Both teams take off._

_Enter Wes Janson and Mon Mothma._

**Janson. **_[into megaphone] _And here are the Revans. Skywalker, Veila, Djo, Lowbacca, Solo, Solo, and Celchu. It's widely acknowledged as the best team the Jedi Temple has seen in these last few years . . .

**Kuns. **_[boos]_

**Janson. **_[into megaphone] _And here come the Kun team, led by Captain Bast. He's made some changes in the lineup and seems to be going for size rather than skill . . .

**Kuns. **_[boos]_

_Enter Garven Dreis._

**Dreis. **Captains. Shake hands.

_Tycho and Bast shake hands, crushing each other's hands._

Board your ships. Three . . . two . . . one . . .

_The game begins._

**Janson. **_[into megaphone] _And it's Revan in possession, Lowbacca of Revan with the Grav-ball, heading straight for the Revan goalposts. Looking good, Lowie! Oh, no! Grav-ball intercepted by Bulq, Bulq of Kun tearing up the field. Wham! Nice dovin basal work there by Ben Solo. Bulq drops the Grav-ball. It is caught by Djo, Revan back in possession. Come on, Tenel Ka. Nice swerve around Chun. Duck, Tenel Ka! That's a dovin basal! She scores! Ten-zero to Revan!

_Tenel Ka punches the air as she soars._

_Bast nearly smashes into Tenel Ka._

**Tenel Ka. **O!

**Bast. **Sorry! Sorry! I didn't see her.

_Jacen hits Bast over the head with his club._

**Dreis. **That will do. Penalty shot to Revan for an unprovoked attack on their chaser. Penalty shot to Kun for deliberate damage to _their _chaser.

**Jacen. **Come off it, Master.

_Dreis blows his whistle._

_Lowbacca flies over to Barris._

**Janson. **_[into megaphone] _Come on, Lowie. Yes! She's beaten the keeper! Twenty-zero to Revan!

_Bast flies over to Tycho._

Of course, Celchu is a superb keeper. Superb! Very difficult to pass, very difficult indeed. Yes! I don't believe it! He's saved it!

_Luke and Marek stay away, searching for the Globe._

Revan in possession. No, Kun in possession. No! Revan back in possession. And it's Tahiri Veila, Tahiri Veila from Revan with the Grav-ball. She's streaking up the field . . .

_Bruck grabs Tahiri's head._

_Tahiri spins and miraculously stays in her ship._

That was deliberate!

_Tahiri takes the penalty._

Thirty-zero! Take that, you dirty cheating . . .

**Mothma. **Janson. If you cannot commentate in an unbiased way . . .

**Janson. **I'm telling it like it is, Senator.

_Luke feints; Marek follows._

_Bane and Desh hit Luke with dovin basals._

_Luke dodges, and Bane and Desh crash._

_[into megaphone, laughs] _Too bad, boys! You'll need to get up earlier than that to beat an A-wing. And it's Revan in possession again, as Djo takes the Grav-ball, Bast right beside her. Poke him in the eye, Tenel Ka! It was a joke, Senator, a joke. Oh, no. Bast in possession, flying toward the Revan goalposts. Come on now, Celchu. Save . . . _fierfek_!

_Bast scores._

_Mothma tries to take the megaphone._

Sorry, Senator. Sorry! It won't happen again. _[into megaphone] _So, Revan in the lead, thirty points to ten, and Revan in possession . . .

_Desh hits Lowbacca with his club._

**Desh. **Sorry! I though she was a dovin basal.

_Ben elbows Desh in the face._

**Dreis. **Penalties to both Revan _and _Kun.

_Tahiri scores a goal, but Tycho blocks Bast's attempted goal._

_Bane and Desh aim two dovin basals at Tycho._

_Hit in the gut, Tycho clutches his starfighter, completely winded._

You do not attack the keeper, unless the Grav-ball is in the scoring area! Revan penalty.

_Tenel Ka scores._

_Jacen hits a dovin basal at Bulq, knocking the Grav-ball out of his hands._

_Lowbacca scores._

_As Luke speeds after the Golden Globe, Marek pulls uses a tractor beam on Luke's A-wing._

**Luke. **_[angry] _You . . .

_Exit Golden Globe._

**Dreis. **Penalty! Penalty to Revan! I've never seen such tactics.

_Marek's XJX-wing flies away from Luke's A-wing._

**Janson. **_[into megaphone] _You cheating scum! You filthy, cheating bastard!

**Mothma. **_[to Marek, shaking her finger] _How dare you! You do not touch another player's starfighter! You just consider yourself lucky, boy! I could place you in detention for such a filthy act!

_Angry by Marek's ploy, Lowbacca misses the goal by several meters._

**Janson. **_[into megaphone] _Kun in possession. Kun heads for the goal. O! Chun scores . . . seventy-twenty to Revan . . .

_Luke blocks Marek wherever he tries to turn._

**Marek. **Stay out of it, Skywalker.

**Janson. **_[into megaphone]_ Tenel Ka Djo gets the Grav-ball for Revan. Come on, Tenel Ka. Come on!

_The Kuns try to block Tenel Ka._

_Luke speeds toward the Kuns, causing them to scatter._

**Kuns. **Aaaarrghh!

_Tenel Ka scores._

**Janson. **_[into megaphone] _She scores! She scores! Revan leads eighty points to twenty.

_Marek dives for the Globe; Luke follows._

**Luke. **_[to A-wing] _Go! Go! Go!

_Luke gains on Marek, ducking Desh's dovin basal._

_Luke knocks Marek's arm out of the way and catches the Golden Globe._

Yes!

**All. **_[cheers]_

_All pilots land._

_Tycho hugs Luke and sobs with joy._

_Jacen and Ben thump Luke on the back._

**Tenel Ka. **We've won the Cup!

**Lowbacca. **We've won the Cup!

**Tahiri. **We've won the Cup!

_Enter Chewbacca._

**Chewbacca. **You beat them, Luke. You _beat _them. Wait until I tell Boga.

_Enter Threepio, jumping up and down._

_Mothma sobs._

_Enter Yoda, who presents Tycho Celchu the Smashball Cup._

_Exit all._


	54. Master Shryne's Prediction

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia, in the Great Hall._

**Han. **_[glances at Leia's timetable] _Leia. Are you sure you copied these down properly?

**Leia. **What? _[looks at timetable] _Of course, I have.

**Luke. **Is there any point in asking how you are going to sit through two exams at once?

**Leia. **No. Have either of you seen my copy of _Secrets of the Jedi_?

**Han. **_[aside, to Luke] _Oh, yeah. I borrowed it for a bit of bedtime reading.

_Leia shifts through durasheet._

_Enter R2-D2, delivering a hololetter from Chewbacca._

_Enter Chewbacca, a holographic image of the Wookiee._

**Chewbacca. **Guys. Boga's appeal has been set for the sixth of June.

**Leia. **That's the day we finished with our exams.

**Chewbacca. **The NRMOC has set the appeal at the Jedi Temple. A representative of the NRMOC will be coming with a bureaucrat from the Republic and an executioner. Chewbacca out.

_Exit Chewbacca._

**Leia. **They're bringing an executioner to the appeal? But that sounds like they have already decided.

**Luke. **Yeah. It does.

**Han. **They can't. I've spent _ages _reading up on stuff for him. They can't just ignore it all.

_Luke, Han, and Leia enter Mon Mothma's classroom for exams._

_The students transform teapots into gorskins._

_The third years leave the exam._

**Nien. **Mine still had a spout for a tail.

**Bria. **Were the gorskins supposed to breathe steam?

**Wedge.** It still had a willow-patterned shell. Do you think that will count against me?

_After lunch, the third years head for Sio Bibble's classroom._

_Bibble tests his students on Inspire._

_Upon leaving, all study._

_All spend Animal Friendship feeding granite slugs._

**Luke. **_[aside] _As granite slugs flourish best when left to their own devices, this is the easiest exam ever. Not to mention, we have plenty of time to talk to Chewie.

_Enter Chewbacca._

**Chewbacca. **Boga is getting depressed. She's been cooped up for too long. But still, we'll know the day after tomorrow, one way or another.

_Exit Chewbacca._

_The third years brew aura of uneasiness in Vader's dungeons._

_The third years have exams with Tionne Solusar (Astronomy), Vodo Siosk-Baas (Galactic History), and Yaddle (Living Force)._

_Enter Qui-Gon._

_Luke, Han, and Han join the other third years in the obstacle course, set up by Qui-Gon._

_Luke passes through pond of dinkos, passes a series of potholes filled with Chazrachs, resists the lure of an ysalamir, and battles a Gurlanin disguised as a Tusken._

**Qui-Gon. **Excellent, Luke. Full marks.

_Han and Leia only mess up on the ysalamir and the Gurlanin respectively._

_Leia runs from a Gurlanin, disguised as failure._

_Leia screams._

Leia. What's the matter?

**Leia. **M-M-Mon Mothma! Sh-she said I failed everything.

_After Leia is calmed down, she, Luke, and Han return to the Temple._

_Exit Qui-Gon._

_Han laughs._

_Enter Finis Valorum._

**Valorum. **Hello there, Luke? Just finished with an exam, I suppose? Nearly finished.

**Luke. **Yes.

**Valorum. **Lovely day. It's a pity. I'm on an unpleasant mission, Luke. The NRMOC required a witness to the execution of a mad varactyl. As I needed to visit Jedi Temple to check on the Kenobi business, I was I asked to step in.

**Han. **Does that mean the appeal has already happened?

**Valorum. **No, no. It's scheduled for this afternoon.

**Han. **But then you might not have to witness an execution. The varactyl might get off.

_Enter Ranulph Tarkin, a gaunt bureaucrat with graying hair, and Savage Opress, a horned warrior with feral eyes, yellow skin, and black tattoos._

**Tarkin. **_Fierfek_. I'm getting too old for this. Fourteen hundred, is it, Valorum?

_Opress polishes his vibro-ax._

_Han begins to protest, but Leia elbows him._

_Exit Valorum, Tarkin, and Opress._

**Han. **Why did you stop me? Did you see them? They've already got the vibro-ax ready. This isn't justice.

**Leia. **Han. Your father works for the Republic. You can't go around saying things like that to his boss. As long as Chewie keeps his head this time and argues his case properly, they can't possibly execute Boga.

_Luke and Han divide from Leia, the former to Divination, the latter to Mundane Studies._

_Exit Leia._

_Luke and Han line up outside Shryne's spire._

_Enter Wedge._

**Wedge. **He's seeing each of us separately. Have either of you had _any _visions?

**Han. **Nope.

_Wedge enters Shryne's quarters._

_Wedge returns later._

**All. **What did he say?

**Wedge. **He says if I tell you, I'll have a horrible accident.

_Exit Wedge._

**Han. **That's convenient. You know, I'm starting to reckon Leia was right about his being a fraud.

**Luke. **Yeah. I wish he'd hurry up.

_Enter Winter._

**Winter. **He says I have the makings of a true Seer. I saw _loads _of stuff. Well, good luck.

_Exit Winter._

**Shryne. **_[off stage] _Han Solo.

_Exit Han._

_Enter Han._

**Luke. **How did it go?

**Han. **Rubbish. I didn't see a thing, so I made stuff up. He didn't seem convinced, though.

_Exit Han._

**Shryne. **_[off stage] _Luke Skywalker.

_Luke enters the Spire of Tranquility._

_Enter Shryne._

Good day, my dear. If you were kindly gaze into the Force . . . Take your time now. Then tell me what you see within.

_Luke meditates._

Well? What do you see?

**Luke. **Er, a dark shape.

**Shryne. **What does it resemble? Think now.

**Luke. **A varactyl.

**Shryne. **Indeed. You may well be seeing the outcome of poor Chewbacca's trouble with the Galactic Republic. Look closer. Does the varactyl appear to have its head?

**Luke. **Yes.

**Shryne. **Are you sure? Are you quite sure, dear? You don't see it writhing on the ground, perhaps, and a shadowy figure's raising a vibro-ax behind it?

**Luke. **No.

**Shryne. **No blood? No weeping Chewbacca?

**Luke. **No.

**Shryne. **Well, dear. I think we'll leave it there. A little disappointing . . . But I'm sure you did your best.

_Luke stands._

_[in a trance] _It will happen tonight. The Sith Lord stands alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been in chains these twelve years. Tonight, before midnight, the servant shall break free and set off to rejoin his Master. The Sith Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than he ever was. Tonight, he who betrayed his friends at the Temple shall break free. Innocent blood shall be spilt, and servant and Master shall be reunited once more. . . .

_Shryne's head falls back._

_[regular voice] _I'm so sorry, dear boy. Did you say something?

**Luke. **No. You just told me that the Sith Lord is going to rise again, that his servant will go back to him.

**Shryne. **The Sith Lord? He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? That's hardly something to joke about. Rise again, indeed.

**Luke. **But you just said it.

**Shryne. **I think you must have dozed off, too. I would certainly presume not to predict anything as far-fetched as _that_.

_Exit all._


	55. The Execution

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Han and Leia, in Revan Tower._

_Enter R2-D2, delivering a hololetter from Chewbacca._

_Enter Chewbacca, a holographic image of the Wookiee._

**Chewbacca. **Lost appeal. They're going to execute at sunset. There's nothing you can do. Don't come down. I don't want you to see it. Chewbacca out.

_Exit Chewbacca._

_Enter Luke._

**Luke. **Master Shryne just told me . . .

**Han. **Boga lost. Chewie has just sent us this.

_Luke reads the hololetter._

**Luke. **We've got to go. He can't just sit there on his own, waiting for the executioner.

**Han. **It's sunset, though. We'd never be allowed, especially you, Luke.

**Luke. **If only we had the cloaking device . . .

**Leia. **Where is it?

**Luke. **I left it inside the passageway of the Statue of Xim. But if Vader sees me near there again, I'll be in serious trouble.

**Leia. **That's true. If he sees _you _. . . How do you open Xim's statue?

**Luke. **You . . . you tap it and say, "_Mechu-deru_." But . . .

_Exit Leia._

**Han. **She hasn't gone to get it?

_Enter Leia, with the cloaking device._

Leia. I don't know what has gotten into you lately. First you hit Marek, then you walk out on Master Shryne . . .

_Luke, Han, and Leia slip on the cloaking device._

_Invisibly, Luke, Han, and Leia approach Chewbacca's wroshyr treehouse._

_Luke knocks on Chewbacca's door._

**Luke. **Chewie. It's us. We're wearing the cloaking device. Let us in and we can take it off.

_Enter Chewbacca._

**Chewbacca. **You shouldn't have come.

_Luke, Han, and Leia enter Chewbacca's quarters._

_Luke, Han, and Leia remove the cloaking device._

**Leia. **Where's Boga, Chewie?

**Chewbacca. **I . . . I took him outside. He's tethered in my pumpkin patch. I thought he ought to be able to smell the trees and . . . and feel the fresh air before . . .

_Chewbacca's hand shakes so violently, he drops the milk jug, which shatters on the floor._

**Leia. **I'll do it, Chewie.

_Leia cleans the mess._

**Chewbacca. **There's another one in the cupboard.

_Leia gets a new milk jug._

**Luke. **Isn't there anything we can do, Chewie? Yoda . . .

**Chewbacca. **He's tried. He's got no power to overrule the NRMOC. He told them Boga is all right, but they're scared. You know what Count Dooku is like, threatening them. And the executioner, Savage Opress . . . he's an old pal of Dooku's. But it will be quick and clean. And I will be beside him. He's coming down, you know, Yoda. He says he wants to be with me when they . . . when it happens. Great being, Yoda. Great being.

**Leia. **We'll stay with you, too, Chewie.

**Chewbacca. **You'll do know such thing. Do you think I want you seeing something like that? No. You just drink your tea and be off.

_Enter Viceroy._

**Leia. **Han. It's Viceroy.

**Han. **Viceroy? What are you talking about?

_Leia points._

Viceroy. You're alive.

_Han picks up the womp rat._

**Chewbacca. **You'll want to keep a closer eye on your familiars, Han. _[looks up] _They're here.

_Enter Yoda, Valorum, Tarkin, and Opress._

You've got to go. They mustn't find you. You'll be in trouble, big trouble . . . particularly you, Luke.

_Luke, Han, and Leia throw the cloaking device back on._

I'll let you out the back way.

**Luke. **Chewie. We can't . . .

**Han. **We'll tell them what really happened . . .

**Leia. **They can't kill him . . .

**Chewbacca. **Go! It's bad enough without you lot in trouble and all.

_Invisibly, Luke, Han, and Leia leave Chewbacca's house._

_Luke, Han, and Leia hurry away._

**Leia. **Let's hurry. I just can't bear it.

_Han stops._

Han. Please.

**Han. **It's Viceroy. He won't stay put.

_Viceroy bites Han._

Viceroy. . . He bit me.

**Leia. **Han. Let's move. They're going to do it.

**Han. **Viceroy. Stay put.

_Luke, Han, and Leia listen as Opress's vibro-ax echoes through the air._

**Leia. **They did it. I can't believe it. They did it.

_Exit all._


	56. Nexu, Womp Rat, and Vornskr

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia, under the cloaking device._

**Luke. **Chewie.

_Luke starts to turn back._

**Han. **We can't. He'll be in worse trouble, if they know we've been to see him.

**Leia. **How . . . could . . . they? How _could _they?

**Han. **Come on.

_Luke, Han, and Leia set off for the Temple._

Viceroy. Keep still. What's the matter with you, you stupid rat? O! You bit me.

**Leia. **Han. Be quiet. Valorum will be here any moment.

**Han. **It's Viceroy. He won't keep still. What's the matter with you?

_Enter Anji._

**Leia. **Anji, no. Go away. Anji. Go away.

_Viceroy runs._

**Han. **Viceroy, no!

_Han emerges from the cloaking device, chasing after Viceroy._

**Leia. **Han.

_Invisibly, Luke and Leia chase after Han._

_Han lunges and grabs Viceroy._

**Han. **Get away from him. Get away, you stupid cat.

**Leia.** Han. Come on. Get under the cloak. Yoda, the Chancellor . . . they'll be coming back any minute.

_Enter Obi-Wan Kenobi, disguised as a vornskr._

_Luke raises his lightsaber._

_Kenobi lunges at Han and sticks his teeth into Han's outstretched arm._

_Kenobi drags Han toward the Ithorian Baforr._

_Han struggles, as Kenobi pulls him toward the secret passageway._

**Luke. **Han.

_Han sticks his leg around the base of the tree._

_Kenobi pulls Han into the passageway, breaking his leg._

_Exit Han, Kenobi, and Viceroy._

**Leia. **Luke. We've got to go for help.

**Luke. **No. That thing is big enough to eat him. We haven't got time.

**Leia. **Luke. We're never going to get through without help.

**Luke. **If that vornskr can get in, we can.

_Each time Luke and Leia try to approach the Baforr, its branches beat them back._

**Leia. **O! Help! Please! Help!

_Anji lunges at the Baforr and presses the knot on the tree._

_The Baforr freezes._

Anji. How did she know?

**Luke. **She's friends with that vornskr. I've seen them together. Come on. And keep your lightsaber out.

_Luke and Leia remove the cloaking device._

_Luke, Leia, and Anji slip into the passageway._

**Leia. **Where's Han?

**Luke. **This way.

_Luke and Leia follow Anji._

**Leia. **Where do you suppose this goes?

**Luke. **I have a hunch. I just hope I'm wrong.

_Luke, Leia, and Anji climb the stairs into a deserted room._

**Leia. **Luke. I think we're in the Valley of the Jedi.

**Luke. **If you say so.

_Luke, Leia, and Anji enter a ransacked room._

_Enter Han, lying on the floor, his injured leg extended._

Han.

**Leia. **Han. Are you okay?

**Luke. **Where's the vornskr?

**Han. **Luke. It's a trap. He's the vornskr. He's a Shi'ido.

_Enter Kenobi, returned to his true appearance: graying auburn hair, blue-gray eyes, and bearded face._

_Using the Force, Kenobi telekineses Luke and Leia's lightsabers into his hand._

**Kenobi. **I thought you'd come and help your friend. Your father would have done the same for me. Brave of you, not to run for a Master. I am grateful. It will make things much easier.

**Han. **If you want to kill Luke, you'll have to kill us, too.

**Kenobi. **Lie down. You will damage that leg even more.

**Han. **Did you hear me? You'll have to kill us, too.

**Kenobi. **Only one will die tonight.

**Luke. **Why is that? Didn't care last time, did you? You didn't mind slaughtering all of those beings to get to Gunray. What's the matter, gone soft on Kessel?

**Leia. **Luke. Be quiet.

**Luke. **He killed my mother and father!

_Luke lunges at Kenobi and knocks him to the ground, disarming him._

_Kenobi grabs Luke's throat._

**Kenobi. **No. I've waited too long.

_Leia kicks Kenobi._

_Kenobi releases Luke._

_Anji leaps in between Luke and Kenobi, defending the latter._

**Luke. **No, you don't!

_Luke, Han, and Leia retrieve their lightsabers._

_Luke kicks Anji out of the way._

_[to Han and Leia] _Get out of the way.

_Han and Leia back away._

_Luke aims his lightsaber at Kenobi._

**Kenobi. **_[laughs] _Are you going to kill me, Luke?

**Luke. **You killed my parents.

**Kenobi. **I won't deny it. But if you knew the whole story . . .

**Luke. **The whole story? You sold them to Sidious. That's all I need to know.

**Kenobi. **You have got to listen to me. You'll regret it if you don't. You don't understand . . .

**Luke. **I understand a lot better than you think. You never heard her, did you? My mother, trying to stop Sidious from killing me . . . And you did that. You did it.

_Anji leaps in front of Kenobi, defending him._

**Kenobi. **_[to Anji] _Get off.

_Anji remains motionless, glaring at Luke._

_Luke raises his lightsaber._

_Enter Qui-Gon, lightsaber raised._

_Using the Force, Qui-Gon disarms Luke, Han, and Leia._

**Qui-Gon. **Well, well, Obi-Wan, looking rather ragged, aren't we? Finally, the flesh reflects the madness within.

**Kenobi. **Well, you would know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Qui-Gon?

_Qui-Gon helps Kenobi to his feet._

**Qui-Gon. **Where is he, Obi-Wan?

_Kenobi points at Viceroy._

But then, why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless . . . unless you _switched _without telling me?

_Kenobi nods._

**Luke. **Master. What's going on . . . ?

_Qui-Gon lowers his lightsaber._

_Qui-Gon and Kenobi embrace._

**Kenobi. **I found him.

**Qui-Gon. **I know.

**Kenobi. **It's him.

**Qui-Gon. **I understand.

**Kenobi. **Let's kill him.

**Leia. **No!

**Luke. **I trusted you! And all this time, you've been his friend!

**Qui-Gon. **You're wrong. I haven't been Obi-Wan's friend. But I am now. Let me explain . . .

**Leia. **No! Luke. Don't listen to him. He's been helping Kenobi into the Temple. He wants you dead, too. He's a Shistavanen. That's why he's been missing classes.

**Qui-Gon. **Not at all up to your usual standard, Leia. Only one out of three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping Obi-Wan into the Temple. And I certainly don't want Luke dead. But I won't deny that I am a Shistavanen.

_Han tries to stand but falls back with a whimper of pain._

_Qui-Gon moves toward Han, concerned._

**Han. **Get away from me, wolfman.

**Qui-Gon. **_[to Leia] _How long have you known?

**Leia. **Since Lord Vader set the essay.

**Qui-Gon. **He'll be delighted. He assigned that essay, hoping someone would realize what my symptoms meant. Did you check the lunar chart and realize I was always ill at the full moon? Or did you realize that the Gurlanin turned into the moon when it saw me?

**Leia. **Both.

**Qui-Gon. **Well, well, Leia, you really are the cleverest being your age I've ever met.

**Leia. **I'm not. If I were cleverer, I would have told everyone what you are.

**Qui-Gon. **They already know. The Masters do, in any case.

**Han. **Yoda hired you when he knew you were a wolfman? Is he space sick?

**Qui-Gon. **Some of the Masters thought so. He had to work very hard to convince some Masters that I'm trustworthy.

**Luke. **And he was wrong! You've helping him all this time!

_Luke indicates Kenobi, who now sits on an old bed._

**Qui-Gon. **I have _not _been helping Obi-Wan. If you'll give me a chance, I'll explain. Look . . ,

_Qui-Gon returns the lightsabers to their owners._

There. You're armed; we're not. Now will you listen?

**Luke. **If you haven't been helping him, how did you know he was here?

**Qui-Gon. **The map. The Star Map. I was in my quarters, examining it.

**Luke. **You know how to work it?

**Qui-Gon. **Of course, I know how to work it. I helped write it. I'm Sivrak. That was my friends' nickname for me at the Temple.

**Luke. **You _wrote _. . . ?

**Qui-Gon. **The important thing is, Luke, I was watching it carefully this evening, because I had an idea that you, Han, and Leia might try and sneak out of the Temple to visit Chewbacca before his varactyl was executed. And I was right, wasn't I? You might have been wearing your father's cloaking device, Luke . . .

**Luke. **How did you know about the cloak?

**Qui-Gon. **The number of times I saw Anakin's disappearing underneath it . . . The point is, even if you're wearing a cloaking device, you still show up on the Star Map. I watched you cross the grounds and enter Chewbacca's hut. Twenty minutes later, you left Chewbacca, and set off back toward the Temple. But you were now accompanied by somebody else.

**Luke. **What? No, we weren't.

**Qui-Gon. **I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought the map must be malfunctioning. How could _he _be with you?

**Luke. **No one was with us.

**Qui-Gon. **And then I saw another dot, fast moving toward you, labeled _Obi-Wan Kenobi_. I saw his collision with you; I watched as he pulled two of you into the Ithorian Baforr . . .

**Han. **One of us.

**Qui-Gon. **No, Han. Two of you. Do you think I could have a look at that womp rat?

**Han. **What? What does Viceroy have to do with it?

**Qui-Gon. **Everything. Could I see him, please?

_Han removes the womp rat from his pocket._

_Qui-Gon examines Viceroy intently._

**Han. **What? What's my rat got to do with anything?

**Kenobi. **That's not a rat.

**Han. **What do you mean? Of course, he's a rat.

**Qui-Gon. **No, he's not. He's a Forceful being.

**Kenobi. **A Shi'ido, by the name of Nute Gunray.

_Exit all._


	57. Sivrak, Viceroy, Ben, and Tan

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, Leia, Qui-Gon, Kenobi, Nute Gunray (disguised as a womp rat), and Anji, in the Valley of the Jedi._

**Han. **You're both space sick.

**Leia. **Ridiculous.

**Luke. **Nute Gunray is _dead_. He killed him twelve years ago.

**Kenobi. **I meant to. But little Nute got the better of me. Not this time, though.

_Kenobi lunges at Gunray._

**Qui-Gon. **Obi-Wan. Wait!

**Kenobi. **I've done my waiting, twelve years of it, on Kessel.

**Qui-Gon. **Fine. Kill him. But wait one more minute. They have the right to know why. Han has kept him as a pet. There are parts even I don't understand. And Luke . . . you owe Luke the truth, Obi-Wan.

**Kenobi. **_[glaring at Gunray] _All right, then. Tell them whatever you like. But make it quick, Qui-Gon. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for.

**Han. **You're nuts, both of you. I've had enough of this. I'm off.

_Han tries to stand, but he falls back down._

**Qui-Gon. **You're going to hear me out, Han. Just keep a tight hold on Nute while you listen.

**Han. **His name is not Nute! It's Viceroy!

**Luke. **There were witnesses who saw Gunray die, a whole street of them.

**Kenobi. **They didn't see what they thought they saw.

**Qui-Gon. **Everyone thought Obi-Wan killed Nute. I thought so, too, until I saw Nute on the map.

**Luke. **The map must have been lying, then.

**Kenobi. **The map never lies. Gunray is alive. And he's right there.

_Kenobi indicates the womp rat._

**Leia. **But Master Jinn, Gunray can't be Viceroy. He just can't.

**Qui-Gon. **Why is that, Leia?

**Leia. **Because . . . because beings would know if Gunray had been a Shi'ido. We did Shi'ido in class with Senator Mothma. And I looked them up when I did my homework. The Galactic Republic keeps a tab on shapeshifters. There's a register, showing what animal they become, and their markings and things. And I went and looked Senator Mothma up on the registry. There have only been seven Shi'ido this century. Gunray's name wasn't on the list.

**Qui-Gon. **_[laughs] _Right again, Leia. But the Republic never knew there used to be three unregistered Shi'ido, running around the Jedi Temple.

**Kenobi. **If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Qui-Gon. I've waited twelve years. I'm not going to wait any longer.

**Qui-Gon. **All right. But you'll need to help me, Obi-Wan. I only know the beginning.

_Enter Darth Vader, under the cloaking device._

_Vader opens the door._

_[frowns] _No one there.

**Han. **This place is haunted.

**Qui-Gon. **It's not. The Valley of the Jedi was never haunted. The screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made by me. That's where all of this starts, with my becoming a Shistavanen. None of this could have happened if I hadn't been bitten, and if I hadn't been so foolhardy.

_Han opens his mouth._

**Leia. **Shh!

**Qui-Gon. **I was a small boy when I received the bite. My parents tried everything, but in those days, there was no cure. The potion that Lord Vader has been making for me is a recent discovery. It makes me safe, you see. As long as I take it in the week preceding the full moon, I keep my mind after I transform. I am able to curl up in my quarters, a harmless wolf, and wait for the moon to wane again. Before bacta was invented, however, we became a fully-fledged monsters once a month. It seemed impossible that any Shistavanen would be able to come to the Jedi Temple. Other parents weren't likely to want their children exposed to us. But then Yoda became Grand Master, and he was sympathetic. He said that as long as we took certain precautions, there was no reason I shouldn't come to the Temple. _[sighs and looks like Luke] _I told you, months ago, that the Ithorian Baforr was planted the year I came to the Jedi Temple. The truth is that it was planted _because _I came to the Jedi Temple. This valley, the tunnel that leads to it . . . they were built for my use. Once a month, I was smuggled out of the Temple into this place, to transform. The tree was placed at the tunnel mouth to stop anyone from coming across me while I was dangerous. My transformations in those days were . . . were terrible. It is very painful to turn into a wolfman. I was separated from sentient beings to bite, so I bit and scratched myself instead. The villagers heard the noise and the screaming and thought they were hearing particularly violent spirits. Yoda encouraged the rumor. Even now, when the valley has been silent for years, the villagers don't dare approach it. . . . But apart from my transformations, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I had friends, three great friends: Obi-Wan Kenobi . . . Nute Gunray . . . and of course, your father, Luke - Anakin Skywalker. Now, my three friends could hardly fail to notice that I disappeared once a month. I made up all sorts of stories. I told them my mother was ill, and I was going home to see her. I was terrified they would desert me the moment they learned the truth. But of course, they, like you, Leia, figured it out. And they didn't desert me at all. Instead, they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable, but the best times of my life. They became Shi'ido.

**Luke. **My father, too?

**Qui-Gon. **Yes, indeed. It took them the better part of three years to work out how to do it. Your father and Obi-Wan here were the cleverest students in the Temple. And luck they were, because skinshifting can go terribly wrong, one reason the Republic keeps a close watch on those who attempt it. Nute needed all the help he could get from Anakin and Obi-Wan. Finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into a different animal at will.

**Leia. **But how did that help you?

**Qui-Gon. **They couldn't keep me company as sentients, so they kept me company as animals. A Shistavanen is only dangerous to sentient beings. They sneaked out of the Temple every month under Anakin's cloaking device. They transformed. Nute, as the smallest, could sneak beneath the Baforr's branches and touch the knot that freezes it. They would then slip down the tunnel and join me. Under their influence, I became less dangerous. My body was still lupine, but my mind seemed to grow more sentient while I was with them.

**Kenobi. **Hurry up, Qui-Gon.

**Qui-Gon. **I'm getting there, Obi-Wan. _[to Luke, Han, and Leia] _Well, highly exciting possibilities were open to us now that we could all transform. Soon we were leaving the Valley of the Jedi and roaming the Temple grounds and the village at night. Obi-Wan and Anakin transformed into such large animals, they were able to keep a Shistavanen in check. I doubt whether any Jedi students ever found out more about the Temple grounds and CoCo Town than we did. And that's how we came to write the Rakatan Star Map and sign it with our nicknames. Obi-Wan is Ben. Nute is Viceroy. Anakin was Tan.

**Luke. **What sort of animal . . . ?

**Leia. **But that was really dangerous. What if you slipped and accidentally bit someone?

**Qui-Gon. **A thought that still haunts me. And there were near misses, many of them. We laughed about them afterwards. We were young, thoughtless, carried away with our own cleverness. I sometimes felt guilty about betraying Yoda's trust, of course. He had admitted me into the Jedi Temple when no other Grand Master would have done so, and he had no idea that I was breaking the rules he had set for my own and others' safety. He never knew I had led three fellow students into illegally becoming Shi'ido. But I always managed to put my guilt aside when we set out to decide our next adventure. And I haven't changed. . . . All this year, I have been battling with myself, wondering whether I should tell Yoda that Obi-Wan was a Shi'ido. But I didn't do it. Why? Because I was too cowardly. It would have meant admitting that I betrayed his trust when I was a student, and Yoda's trust meant everything to me. He let me into the Jedi Temple when I was a boy, and hired me when I had been shunned my entire adult life, unable to find paid work because of what I am. And so I convinced myself that Obi-Wan getting into the Temple using the Sith magic he learned from Sidious, that being a Shi'ido had nothing to do with it. So, in a way, Vader has been right about me all along.

**Kenobi. **Vader? What's Vader got to do with it?

**Qui-Gon. **He's here, Obi-Wan. He's teaching here as well. _[to Luke, Han, and Leia] _Lord Vader was at the Temple with us. He fought very hard against my appointment to the Defense Against the Dark Side job. He has been telling Yoda all year that I am not to be trusted. He has his reasons. You see, Obi-Wan here played a trick on him that nearly killed him, a trick which involved me . . .

**Kenobi. **_[snorts derisively] _It served him right. Sneaking around, trying to figure out what we were up to, hoping to get us expelled . . .

**Qui-Gon. **Darth was very interested in where I went once a month. We were in the same year, you know. And we, er, didn't like each other very much. He especially disliked Anakin, jealous of him, I expect. Anyway, Vader had seen my crossing the grounds with Master Che one evening as she led me toward the Ithorian Baforr to transform. Obi-Wan though it would be . . . amusing to tell Vader that all he had to do was prod the knot on the tree trunk with a long stick, and he would be able to get in there after me. Well, of course, Vader tried it. If he had gotten as far as this valley, he would have met a fully-grown Shistavanen Wolfman. But your father, who had heard what Obi-Wan had done, went after Vader and pulled him back, at great risk to his life. Vader glimpsed me, though, at the end of the tunnel. He was forbidden by Yoda to tell anybody. But from that time on, he knew what I was.

**Luke. **So that's why Vader doesn't like you, because he thought you were in on the joke?

**Vader. **_[removing the cloaking device] _That's right.

_Vader removes his lightsaber and points it at Qui-Gon._

_Exit all._


	58. Vader's Vengeance

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, Leia, Qui-Gon, Kenobi, Vader, Nute Gunray (disguised as a womp rat), and Anji, in the Valley of the Jedi._

**Vader. **_[lightsaber pointed at Qui-Gon] _I found this at the base of the Ithorian Baforr. Very useful, Skywalker. I think you. _[to Qui-Gon] _You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here. I've just been to your quarters, Jinn. Your forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a gobletful along. And very lucky I did . . . lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance at it told me all I needed to know. I saw your running across this passage and out of sight.

**Qui-Gon. **Darth . . .

**Vader. **Ah, vengeance is sweet. How I hoped I would be the one to catch you. I told Yoda you were helping your old friend into the Temple. And now, here's the proof. Not even I imagined you would use this old place as your hideout . . .

**Qui-Gon. **Darth. You're making a mistake. You haven't heard everything. I can explain. Obi-Wan is not here to kill Luke.

**Vader. **Two more for Kessel tonight. I shall be interested to see how Yoda takes this. He was quite convinced you were harmless, a _tame _wolfman.

**Qui-Gon. **You fool. Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back on Kessel?

_Using the Force, Vader wraps Qui-Gon in ropes._

**Vader. **Give me a reason. I beg you.

_Vader and Kenobi glare hatefully at each other._

**Leia. **Lord Vader. It w-wouldn't hurt to hear them out, w-would it?

**Vader. **Miss Organa. You already facing suspension from this Temple. Don't make things worse for yourself.

**Leia. **But if . . . if there was a mistake . . .

**Vader. **Keep quiet, you stupid girl! Don't talk about things you don't understand!

**Kenobi. **Brilliant, Darth. Once again, you put your keen and penetrating mind to the task and as usual come to the wrong conclusion. Now if you don't mind, Qui-Gon and I have some unfinished business to attend to.

**Vader. **Give me a reason. I beg you.

**Qui-Gon. **Darth. Don't be fool.

**Kenobi. **He can't help it. It's a habit by now.

**Qui-Gon. **Obi-Wan. Be quiet.

**Kenobi. **Be quiet yourself, Qui-Gon.

**Vader. **Listen to your quarrelling like an old married couple.

**Kenobi. **Why don't you just run along and play with your chemistry set?

_Vader wields his lightsaber at Kenobi._

**Vader. **I could do it, you know. But why deny the Tuskens? They're so longing to see you.

_Kenobi pales._

Do I detect a flicker of fear? Oh, yes. The Force Drain. One can only imagine what that must be like. It is said to be unbearable to witness, but I'll do my best.

**Kenobi. **You . . . you have got to hear me out. The rat . . . look at the rat . . .

_Vader's red eyes glint evilly._

**Vader. **Come on, all of you. I'll drag the wolfman. Perhaps the Tuskens will have a drain for him, too.

_Luke leaps in front of the door, lightsaber raised, blocking Vader's way._

Get out of the way, Skywalker. You're in enough trouble already. If I hadn't been here to save your hide . . .

**Luke. **Master Jinn could have killed me about a hundred times this season. I've been alone with him loads of time, having defense lessons against the Tuskens. If he were helping Kenobi, why didn't he just kill me off, then?

**Vader. **Don't ask me to fathom the way a wolfman's mind works, Skywalker. Get out of the way.

**Luke. **You're pathetic! Just because they made a fool of you at the Jedi Temple, you won't listen . . .

**Vader. **Silence! I will not be spoken to like that! Like father, like son, Skywalker. I have just saved your neck; you should be thanking me on bended knee. You would have been well served if he had killed you. You would have died just like your father, too arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in Kenobi. Now get out of the way, or I will make you. Now get out of the way, Skywalker!

_Reaching into the Force, Luke, Han, and Leia reach into the Force and push Vader backward, his lightsaber flying out of his grip._

_Vader falls into unconsciousness._

_Exit all._


	59. The Servant of Lord Sidious

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, Leia, Qui-Gon, Kenobi, Nute Gunray (disguised as a womp rat), Anji, and an unconscious Vader._

**Han. **What did we just do?

**Leia. **We attacked a Master. We're going to be in so much trouble.

**Kenobi. **You shouldn't have done that. You should have left him to me.

_Kenobi unties Qui-Gon._

_Qui-Gon stands._

**Qui-Gon. **Thank you, Luke.

**Luke. **I'm not saying I believe you.

**Qui-Gon. **Then it's time we offered you some proof. _[to Han]_ Give me Nute, please.

**Han. **Come off it. Are you trying to say he broke out of Kessel just to get his hands on _Viceroy_. How is he to know this _is _Gunray if he's been locked up on Kessel all these years?

**Qui-Gon. **_[to Kenobi] _You know, Obi-Wan, that is a fair question. How _did _you find out.

_Kenobi removes a printout of the HoloNet News, featuring a holograph of the Solos._

How did you get this?

**Kenobi. **Valorum. When he came to inspect Kessel last season, he gave me his HoloNet printout. And there was Nute on the front page, on the boy's shoulder. I knew him at once. How many times had I seen him transform? And the caption said the boy would be going to the Jedi Temple, where Luke was.

**Han. **Look, Viceroy has been in my family for . . .

**Kenobi. **Twelve years? Curiously long life for a common womp rat. He's missing a toe, isn't he?

**Han. **So what?

**Luke. **All they could find of Gunray was his . . .

**Kenobi. **Finger! The dirty coward cut it off so everyone would think he was dead, and then he transformed into a rat. He yelled to the entire street that I had betrayed Anakin and Padmé. Then before I could do anything, he blasted half the street apart.

**Qui-Gon. **Han. How else do you explain the rat's decline in health? It looks like he's been losing weight ever since Obi-Wan's escape.

**Han. **He's been scared of that space-happy feline.

**Kenobi. **This nexu isn't space-happy. She's the most intelligent of her kind I've ever met. She recognized Nute for what he was right away. And when she met me, she knew I was no vornskr. It was a while before she trusted me. Finally, I managed to communicate with her what I was after, and she's been helping me.

**Leia. **What do you mean?

**Kenobi. **She tried to bring Nute to me but couldn't, so she stole into Revan Tower for me. As I understand it, she took them from a boy's bedside table. But Nute got wind of what was going on and ran for it. This nexu - Anji, did you call her - told me he left blood on the sheets. I suppose he bit himself. Well, faking his death worked last time.

**Luke. **And why did he fake his death? Because he knew you were about to kill him, like you killed my parents?

**Qui-Gon. **No, Luke . . .

**Luke. **And now you've come to finish him off?

**Kenobi. **Yes, I have.

**Luke. **Then I should have let Vader take you.

**Qui-Gon. **Luke. Don't you see? All this time, we've thought Obi-Wan betrayed your parents, and Nute tracked him down. And it was the other way around, see. _Nute _betrayed your mother and father, and _Obi-Wan _tracked _him _down.

**Luke. **That's not true! He was their Infinite Spirit! He said so before you even showed up! He said he killed them!

**Kenobi. **Luke. I as good as killed them. I persuaded Anakin and Padmé to switch to Nute at the last minute, persuaded them to use him as the Infinite Spirit instead of me. I'm to blame; I know it. The night they died, I had arranged to check on Nute, make sure he was still safe. But when I arrived at his hiding place, he had gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straight away. And when I saw their house destroyed and their bodies . . . I realized what Nute must have done, what I'd done . . .

_Kenobi turns away, shaken by the memory._

**Qui-Gon. **Enough of this. There is one certain way to prove what happened. Han. Give me that rat!

**Han. **What are you going to do to him?

**Qui-Gon. **Force him to show himself. If he is really a womp rat, it won't hurt him.

_Han hands Gunray to Qui-Gon._

_Qui-Gon points his lightsaber at Gunray._

Ready, Obi-Wan?

_Kenobi retrieves Vader's lightsaber and points it at Gunray._

**Kenobi. **Together?

**Qui-Gon. **I think so. On the count of three. One . . . two . . . three!

_Qui-Gon and Kenobi project all of their Force abilities upon Gunray._

_Gunray reveals his true appearance: a hairless, flat-nosed man with red eyes, mottled green skin, and elaborate red-orange robes (including a three-pieced headdress)._

Hello, Nute.

**Gunray. **O-Obi-Wan? Q-Qui-Gon? My old friends . . .

_Kenobi raises his lightsaber, but Qui-Gon gives him a warning look._

**Qui-Gon. **We've been having a little chat, Nute, about what happened the night Anakin and Padmé died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking down there on the bed . . .

**Gunray. **Qui-Gon. You don't believe him, do you? He tried to kill me, Qui-Gon.

**Qui-Gon. **So we've heard. I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Nute, if you'd be so . . .

**Gunray. **He's come to try and kill me again. He killed Padmé and Anakin, and now he's going to kill me, too. You've got to help me, Qui-Gon.

**Qui-Gon. **No one is going to try and kill you until we have sorted things out.

**Gunray. **_[glances around anxiously] _Sorted things out? I knew he'd come after me. I knew he'd be back for me. I've waited twelve years for this.

**Qui-Gon. **You knew Obi-Wan was going to break out of Kessel, when nobody has done it before?

**Gunray. **He's got dark side powers the rest of us can only dream of. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named must have taught him a few tricks.

**Kenobi. **Sidious? Teach _me _tricks?

_Gunray flinches._

What, scared to hear your old Master's name? I don't blame you, Nute. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?

**Gunray. **I don't know what you mean, Obi-Wan.

**Kenobi. **You haven't been hiding from _me _for twelve years. You've been hiding from Sidious's old supporters. I heard a few things on Kessel, Nute. They think you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them. I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. It sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them. Sidious went to the Skywalkers on your intelligence, and Sidious met his downfall there. And not all of Sidious's followers ended up on Kessel, did they? There are still plenty out here, biding their time, pretending they've seen the error of their ways. If they ever got wind that you're still alive, Nute . . .

**Gunray. **I don't know . . . what you're talking about. Qui-Gon, you don't believe this . . . this madness.

**Qui-Gon. **I must admit, Nute, I have a difficulty understanding why an innocent being would hide as a womp rat for twelve years.

**Gunray. **Innocent, but scared! If Lord Sidious's followers were after me, it is because I Kesseled one of their best agents - the spy, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

**Kenobi. **How dare you! I, a spy for Sidious? When did I ever sneak around beings who were stronger and more powerful than myself? But you, Nute . . . I don't know why I didn't see you were the spy from the start. You always liked big friends who would look after you, didn't you? It used to be us - Qui-Gon, Anakin, and me.

**Gunray. **I, a spy? I don't know what you are . . . You must be brain-dead. . . . I don't know how you can suggest such a thing. . . .

**Kenobi. **Anakin and Padmé only made you Infinite Spirit because I suggested it. I thought it was the perfect plan, a bluff. Sidious would be sure to come after me, would never dream they would use a gutless coward like you. It must have been the finest moment of your life, telling Sidious you could hand him the Skywalkers.

**Leia. **Master Jinn. Can I say something?

**Qui-Gon. **Certainly, Leia.

**Leia. **Well, Viceroy . . . I mean, this being . . . he's been sleeping in Luke's dormitory for three years. If he were working for You-Know-Who, how come he never tried to hurt Luke before now?

**Gunray. **There! Thank you! You see, Qui-Gon? I have never laid a hand on Luke. Why should I?

**Kenobi. **I'll tell you why. Because you never did anything for anyone unless you could see what was in it for you. Sidious has been hiding for thirteen years; they say he is half-dead. You weren't about to commit murder right under the great Jedi Master Yoda's nose, for a wreck of a Sith Lord who has lost his power, were you? You would want to make sure that he was the biggest bully on the playground again before you went back to him, didn't you? Why else did you find a Forceful family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for the HoloNet, weren't you, Nute? Just in case your old benefactor regained strength, and it was safe to rejoin him.

**Leia. **Er . . . Master Kenobi . . . Obi-Wan?

_Kenobi jumps in surprise, then looks at Leia._

If you don't mind my asking, how did you escape from Kessel without using the dark side?

**Gunray. **Thank you! Exactly! Precisely what I . . .

_Qui-Gon silences Gunray with a look._

**Kenobi. **I don't know how I did it. I think the only reason I never lost my mind was because I knew I was innocent. It wasn't exactly a happy thought, so the Tuskens couldn't take it from me. But it kept me sane and knowing who I am, helped me keep my powers. So when it all became too much, I could transform in my cell, become a vornskr. Tuskens can't see, you know. They feel their way towards beings by feeding on their emotions. They could tell that my feelings were . . . were less sentient, less complex as a vornskr. But they thought, of course, that I was losing my mind like everyone else in there, so it didn't trouble them. But I was weak, very weak, and I had no way of driving them off without a lightsaber. But then I saw Nute in the holograph. I realized he was at the Jedi Temple with Luke, perfectly positioned to act, if one hint reached his ears that the Sith were gathering strength again . . . ready to strike the moment he could be sure of his allies . . . and to deliver the final Skywalker to them. If he gave them Luke, who would dare say he betrayed Lord Sidious? He would be welcomed back with honors. So you see, I had to do something. I was the only one who knew Nute was still alive. It was as if somebody had lit a fire in my head, and the Tuskens couldn't destroy it. It wasn't a happy feeling; it was an obsession. But it gave me strength; it cleared my mind. So one night, when they opened my door to bring food, I slipped past them as a vornskr. It's much harder for them to sense non-sentient emotions that they were confused. I was thin, very thin, thin enough to slip through the bars. I swam as a vornskr back to the Core. I journeyed to Tython and slipped into the Temple grounds as a vornskr. I've been leaving on Endor ever since, except when I came to watch the Smashball games, of course. You fly like your father, Luke. Believe me . . . believe me, Luke. I never betrayed Anakin and Padmé. I would have died.

**Luke. **I believe you.

**Gunray. **No!

_Gunray falls to his knees._

_Gunray grasps Kenobi's robes._

Obi-Wan. It's me. It's Nute, your friend. You wouldn't . . .

**Kenobi. **There's enough filth on my robes without your touching them.

**Gunray. **Qui-Gon. You don't believe this. Wouldn't Obi-Wan have told you if he had changed the plan?

**Qui-Gon. **Not if he thought I was the spy, Nute. I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Obi-Wan?

**Kenobi. **Forgive me, Qui-Gon.

**Qui-Gon. **Not at all, Ben, old friend. And will you, in turn, forgive me for thinking _you_ were the spy?

**Kenobi. **_[grins] _Of course. Shall we kill him together?

**Qui-Gon. **Yes. I think so.

**Gunray. **_[backing away] _You can't . . . you wouldn't . . . _[to Han] _Han. Haven't I been a good friend, a good pet? You won't let them kill me. You're on my side, aren't you?

**Han. **I let you sleep in my _bed_?

**Gunray. **Kind boy . . . kind master . . . You won't let them do it. I was your rat.

**Kenobi. **If you made a better rat than a sentient, it's not much to boast about, Nute.

_Han pushes Gunray away._

**Gunray. **_[to Leia] _Sweet girl . . . clever girl . . . You won't let them . . .

_Leia shrugs out of Gunray's grip, looking horrified._

**Qui-Gon. **Get away from her.

_Trembling, Gunray turns to Luke._

**Gunray. **Luke. Look at you! You look so much like your father, like _Anakin_. We were the best of friends, he and I.

**Kenobi. **How dare you speak to Luke! How dare you face him! How dare you talk about Anakin in front of him!

_Qui-Gon and Kenobi corner Gunray._

**Qui-Gon. **You sold Anakin and Padmé to Sidious, didn't you?

**Gunray. **I didn't mean to. The Dark Lord . . . you have no idea what powers he possesses. What was to be gained by fighting him?

**Kenobi. **What was to be gained by fighting the most evil dark-sider who ever existed? Only innocent lives, Nute!

**Gunray. **You don't understand. He would have killed me, Obi-Wan.

**Kenobi. **Then you should have died! You should have died rather than betray your friends, as we would have done for you!

**Gunray. **_[turns to Luke] _Luke. Anakin wouldn't have wanted me killed. Your father . . . your father would have spared me. He would have shown me . . . _mercy_!

_Qui-Gon and Kenobi push Gunray back into a corner._

**Qui-Gon. **You should have realized, Nute, that if Sidious didn't kill you than we would, together. Good-bye, Nute.

**Luke. **No!

**Kenobi. **Luke. This dung of a meat maggot is the reason you have no parents.

**Luke. **I know what he is. But we'll take him to the Temple.

_Gunray drops to his knees and sobs._

**Gunray. **Bless you, boy. Bless you!

**Luke. **_[disgusted] _Get off. I said, we'll take him to the Temple. _[to Gunray] _After that, the Tuskens can have you.

_Gunray whimpers._

**Qui-Gon. **Very well. Stand aside, Luke.

_Luke hesitates._

I'm only going to tie him up. I swear.

_Using the Force, Qui-Gon wraps Gunray in fibra-rope._

**Kenobi. **But if you transform, Nute, we _will _kill you. You agree, Luke?

**Luke. **Yes.

**Qui-Gon. **Right. Han, I can't mend bones nearly as well as Master Che, so I think it's best if we strap this leg up until we can get you to the medcenter.

_Using the Force, Qui-Gon bandages Han's leg._

_Qui-Gon helps Han to his feet._

**Han. **That's better. Thanks.

**Leia. **What about Lord Vader?

**Qui-Gon. **_[checks Vader's vital signs] _There's nothing seriously wrong with him. You were just a little . . . overenthusiastic. Perhaps it will be better if we don't revive him until we're safely back in the Temple. We can telekinese him out of the Valley.

_Qui-Gon pockets the cloaking device._

**Kenobi. **_[gestures to Gunray] _And two of us should be chained to this. Just to make sure.

**Qui-Gon. **I'll do it.

**Han. **And me.

_Kenobi telekineses pairs of stun cuffs, locking Qui-Gon and Han on either side of Gunray._

_Anji leads the gang out of the Valley of the Jedi._

_Exit all._


	60. Kenobi's Offer

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, Leia, Qui-Gon, Kenobi, Gunray, Anji, and an unconscious Vader._

_The gang exits the Valley of the Jedi in groups: Anji; Qui-Gon, Gunray, and Han; Vader, levitating along by Kenobi; and Luke and Leia._

**Kenobi. **_[to Han] _Sorry about the bite. I reckon it twinges a bit.

**Han. **A bit? A bit? You nearly tore my arm off.

**Kenobi. **Well, I was going for the rat. Normally, I have a very sweet disposition as a vornskr. In fact, more than once Anakin suggested that I make the change permanent. The tail I could live with. But the fleas . . . they're murder. _[to Luke] _It's beautiful, isn't it, the Temple? I'll never forget the first time I walked through those doors. It will be nice to do it again as a free being. That was a noble thing you did back there. He doesn't deserve it.

**Luke. **Well, I just didn't think my father would have wanted his two best friends to become killers. Besides, dead, the truth dies with him. Alive, you're free.

_Luke and Kenobi glance over at Gunray._

**Gunray. **Turn me into a diptera maggot, a fefze beetle, a granite slug . . . anything but the Tuskens . . .

_Luke and Kenobi return their attention to each other._

**Kenobi. **I don't know if you know this, Luke, but when you were born, Anakin and Padmé made me your godfather.

**Luke. **I know.

**Kenobi. **And, well, I can understand if you want to choose to stay with your aunt and uncle, but if you ever wanted a different home . . .

**Luke. **What? Can I live with you?

**Kenobi. **Well, it . . . it was just a thought. I can understand if you don't want to.

**Luke. **Are you thermal? Of course, I want to leave the Larses. Have you got a homestead? When can I move in?

_Kenobi turns to face Luke, causing Vader's head to bump against the ceiling._

**Kenobi. **You want to? You mean it?

**Luke. **Yeah. I mean it.

_Kenobi grins._

_Exit all._


	61. The Force Drain

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter (in this order) Anji; Qui-Gon, Gunray, and Han (cuffed together); Kenobi, levitating Vader; Luke; and Leia._

**Qui-Gon. **One wrong move, Nute.

_The full moon bathes the grounds in moonlight._

_Kenobi freezes, holding the others back._

_Qui-Gon stiffens, his limbs shaking._

**Leia. **Oh, my stars! He didn't take his potion tonight. He's not safe.

**Kenobi. **Run. Run now. Leave it to me. Run!

_Qui-Gon transforms into his alter-ego, Lak Sivrak - a lupine humanoid with red eyes, brown fur, and fangs._

_Kenobi transforms into a auburn-furred vornskr and pounces on Sivrak, tearing him away from Han and Gunray._

_Gunray retrieves Qui-Gon's lightsaber and blasts Han backward._

_Using the Force, Luke knocks the lightsaber out of Gunray's hands._

**Luke. **Stay where you are.

_Gunray waves and transforms into a womp rat._

_Exit Gunray._

Obi-Wan. He's gone. Gunray transformed.

_Kenobi and Sivrak claw at each other._

_Exit Kenobi and Sivrak._

_Luke and Leia kneel at Han's side._

**Leia. **What did he do to him?

**Luke. **I don't know. _[glances at Vader] _We had better get them up to the Temple and tell someone.

_Luke hears Kenobi's cries of pain._

Obi-Wan.

_Luke and Leia run toward the cries._

_Enter Kenobi, returned to sentient form, bombarded by an army of Tuskens._

**Kenobi. **No! No! Please!

_Luke and Leia remove their lightsabers._

**Luke. **Leia. Think of something happy. _[aims lightsaber at the Tuskens] __Tutaminis_! _Tutaminis_!

_Kenobi falls into unconsciousness._

_Tutaminis_! Leia, help me! _Tutaminis_!

**Leia. **_Tuta _. . . _tuta _. . . _tuta _. . .

**Luke. **_[blocking out Padmé's screams] Tutaminis_! _Tutaminis_!

_Leia collapses._

_Tutaminis_! _Tutaminis_!

_Luke falls to his knees._

_Tutaminis_!

_A Tusken moves in on Luke, trying to ward off his feeble Aura._

No! No! He's innocent. _Tuta_ . . . _Tutaminis_!

_The Tuskens advance on Luke and remove their masks, revealing their faces: gray skin, dark eyes, and feline muzzles._

_Luke's Aura flickers and dies._

_Tutaminis_!

**Padmé.** _[screams, unseen and heard only by Luke]_

**Luke. **_[grabs Kenobi's arm protectively] Tutaminis_!

_The Tuskens prepare to drain Luke, Leia, and Kenobi of their life essence._

_Enter Skywalker, a blue-eyed figure with blond hair and a white tunic._

**Skywalker. **_Tutaminis_!

_Enter the Aura of Skywalker, a silvery krayt dragon who charges down the Tuskens._

_Luke collapses._

_Exit all._


	62. Vader and Valorum

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Darth Vader and Finis Valorum._

**Valorum. **Shocking business, shocking. It's a miracle none of them died. I've never heard the like. . . . By the stars, it's lucky you were there, Vader.

**Vader. **Thank you, Chancellor.

**Valorum. **Order of Revan, Second Class, I'd say. First Class, if I can wangle it.

**Vader. **Thank you very much indeed, Chancellor.

**Valorum. **Nasty cut you've got there. Kenobi's work, I suppose.

**Vader. **As a matter of fact, it was Skywalker, Solo, and Organa, Chancellor.

**Valorum. **No!

**Vader. **Kenobi had bewitched them. I saw it immediately. Force Confusion, to judge by their behavior. They seemed to think there was a possibility that there was a possibility that he was innocent. They weren't responsible for their actions. On the other hand, their interference might have permitted Kenobi to escape. They obviously thought they were going to catch Kenobi single-handed. They have got away with a great deal before now. I'm afraid it's given them a high opinion of themselves. And of course, Skywalker has always been given an extraordinary amount of license by the Grand Master . . .

**Valorum. **Ah, well, Vader . . . Luke Skywalker, you know . . . We've all got a blind spot where he is concerned.

**Vader. **And yet, is it good for him to be given such special treatment? Personally, I try and treat him like any other student. And any other student would be suspended, at the very least, for leading his friends into such danger. Consider, Chancellor . . . against all Temple rules . . . after all the precautions put in place for his protection . . . out-of-bounds at night, consorting with a Shistavanen and a murderer . . . and I have reason to believe that he has been visiting CoCo Town illegally, too . . .

**Valorum. **Well, well . . . We shall see, Vader. We shall see. The boy has been undoubtedly foolish. What amazes me most is the behavior of the Tuskens. You have no idea what made them retreat, Vader?

**Vader. **No, Chancellor. By the time I came around, they were already returning to their positions at the entrances.

**Valorum. **Extraordinary. And yet Kenobi, and Luke, and the girl . . .

**Vader. **All unconscious by the time we reached them. I naturally bound and gagged Kenobi, conjured medical capsules, and brought them all straight back to the Temple.

_Exit all._


	63. Yoda's Helping Hand

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and Leia, waking up in the medcenter._

_Enter Vokara Che, tending to an unconscious Han._

**Che. **_[gives Luke and Leia blocks of chocolate] _Ah, you're awake.

**Both. **How's Han?

**Che. **He'll live. As for you two, you'll be staying here until I . . .

_Luke stands and heads for the door._

Skywalker. Where are you going?

**Luke. **I need to see the Grand Master.

**Che. **Skywalker. It's all right. They've got Kenobi. He's locked away upstairs. The Tuskens will be forming the Drain any moment now.

**Luke. **What?

_Enter Vader and Valorum._

**Valorum. **Luke. What's this? You should be in bed. _[to Che] _Has he had any chocolate?

**Luke. **Chancellor, listen. Obi-Wan Kenobi is innocent. Nute Gunray faked his own death. We saw him tonight. You can't the Tuskens do that thing to Obi-Wan. He's . . .

**Valorum. **Luke. You're confused. You've been through a dreadful ordeal. Lie back down now. We've got everything under control.

**Luke. **You have not! You've got the wrong man!

**Leia. **Chancellor. He's right. Obi-Wan is innocent. I saw Gunray, too. He was Han's womp rat. He's a Shi'ido . . . Gunray, I mean. And . . .

**Vader. **You see, Chancellor. Force Confusion, both of them. Kenobi has done a very good job with them.

**Luke. **We're not confused!

**Che. **Chancellor. Lord. I must insist that you leave. Skywalker is my patient. He should not be distressed.

**Luke. **I'm not distressed. I'm trying to tell them what happened. If they would just listen . . .

_Che shoves chocolate in Luke's mouth._

**Che. **Now, Chancellor, please leave. These children need care.

_Enter Yoda._

**Leia. **Grand Master. You have got to stop them. They have got the wrong man.

**Luke. **She's right. Obi-Wan is innocent.

**Che. **For Edge's sake! Is this a medcenter or not? Master, I must insist . . .

**Yoda. **My apologies, Vokara. But I need a word with Master Skywalker and Miss Organa. I have just been talking with Obi-Wan Kenobi . . .

**Vader. **I suppose he has told you the same fairy tale he has planted in Skywalker's mind - something about a womp rat and Gunray's being alive.

**Yoda. **That is indeed Kenobi's story.

**Vader. **And does my evidence count for nothing? Nute Gunray was not in the Valley of the Jedi, nor did I see any evidence of him on the grounds.

**Leia. **That's because you were knocked out, Lord. You didn't arrive in time to hear . . .

**Vader. **Miss Organa. Hold your tongue!

**Valorum. **Now, Vader. The young female is disturbed in her mind. We must make allowances . . .

**Yoda. **I would like to speak to Luke and Leia alone. Finis, Darth, Vokara . . . please leave us.

**Che. **Master. They need treatment. They need rest.

**Yoda. **This cannot wait. I'm afraid I must insist.

_Exit Che, returning to her quarters in the Halls of Healing._

**Valorum. **_[consults his chrono] _The Tuskens should be here any moment. I shall go and meet them. Yoda, I'll see you upstairs.

_Exit Valorum._

**Vader. **You surely don't believe a word of Kenobi's story?

**Yoda. **I wish to speak to Luke and Leia alone.

**Vader. **Obi-Wan Kenobi showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen. You haven't forgotten that, Master? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill me?

**Yoda. **My memory is as good as ever, Darth.

_Exit Vader._

**Luke. **Master. Kenobi is telling the truth. We saw Gunray. He escaped when Master Jinn turned into a wolfman.

**Leia. **He's a womp rat.

**Luke. **Gunray's front paw . . . I mean, finger - he cut it off.

**Leia. **Gunray attacked Han; it wasn't Obi-Wan.

**Yoda. **It is your turn to listen, and I beg that you do not interrupt me, because there is very little time. There is not a shred of proof to support Kenobi's story, except your word. And I'm sorry to say the word of three thirteen-year-old sentients will convince few others. A child's voice, however honest and true, is meaningless to those who have forgotten how to listen. Besides, a street full of eyewitnesses swore they saw Obi-Wan kill Gunray. I myself gave evidence to the Republic that Obi-Wan had been the Skywalkers' Infinite Spirit.

**Luke. **Master Jinn can tell you . . .

**Yoda. **Qui-Gon Jinn is currently deep in the Endor forest, unable to tell anyone anything. By the time he is sentient again, it will be too late. Obi-Wan will be worse than dead. I might add that Shistavanens are so mistrusted by most of our kind that his testimony will count for very little, and the fact that he and Obi-Wan are old friends . . .

**Luke. **But . . .

**Yoda. **Listen to me, Luke. It is too late. You must see that Lord Vader's version of events is much more convincing than yours.

**Leia. **He hates Obi-Wan, all because of some stupid trick Obi-Wan played on him . . .

**Yoda. **Obi-Wan has not acted like an innocent being. The attack on Kara, entering Revan Tower with a vibroblade - without Gunray, dead or alive, we have no chance of overturning Obi-Wan's sentence.

**Leia. **But you believe us.

**Yoda.** I do, Miss Organa. But I have no power to make other beings see the truth, or to overrule the Supreme Chancellor. What we need is more time.

**Leia. **But . . . O!

**Yoda. **A mysterious thing, time . . . powerful and, when meddled with, dangerous. Obi-Wan Kenobi is in the topmost cell of the Detention Center. You know the laws, Miss Organa. You must not be seen. And you would do well, I feel, to return before this last chime. If not, the consequences are too ghastly to discuss. If you succeed tonight, more than one innocent life may be spared. Three turns should do it, I think. Oh, by the way, when in doubt, I find retracing my steps to be a wise place to begin. May the Force be with you.

_Exit Yoda._

**Luke. **What the vaping hell was that all about?

_Exit all._


	64. Leia's Secret

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and Leia, in the medcenter._

_Leia removes her Orb of Passage, a glowing yellow-green orb._

**Leia. **Luke. Come here. Quick.

_Luke and Leia both grab hold of the Orb of Passage._

Ready?

**Luke. **What are we doing?

_Leia turns the Orb three times._

_Luke and Leia journey through space and time and reappear in the Jedi Temple Main Entrance, three hours ago._

Leia. What . . . ?

**Leia. **In here.

_Luke and Leia dive into a closet._

This an Orb of Passage, Luke. Senator Mothma gave it to me, first term. This is how I have been getting to my lessons all year.

**Luke. **You mean, we've gone back in time?

**Leia. **Three hours, to be exact. Yoda obviously wanted us to return to this moment. Clearly, something happened he wants us to change. What happened? We were walking down to Chewie's, three hours ago.

**Luke. **Yoda said, "If everything goes well, more than one innocent life can be saved." Leia, we're going to save Boga.

**Leia. **But how will that help Obi-Wan?

**Luke. **Yoda said . . . he told us where they have got Obi-Wan locked up, in the Detention Center. We have got to ride Boga to the window and rescue Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan can escape on Boga; they can escape together.

**Leia. **If we manage that without being seen, it will be a miracle.

**Luke. **Well, we have to try, don't we? Come on. Let's go.

_Luke and Leia leave the Main Entrance, headed for the doors._

**Leia. **If anyone is looking out the windows . . .

**Luke. **We'll run for it, straight toward the forest moon. We'll have to hide behind a tree and keep a lookout.

**Leia. **Okay. But we'll go around by the greenhouses. We need to keep out of sight of Chewie's front door, or we'll see us.

_Luke and Leia run out of the Jedi Temple, around the greenhouses and the Ithorian Baforr, and run straight into the Endor forest._

_Luke and Leia hide behind the trees near Chewbacca's wroshyr treehouse._

_Enter Skywalker, Solo, and Organa, under the cloaking device._

**Skywalker. **It's us. We're wearing the cloaking device. Let us in and we can take it off.

_Enter Chewbacca._

**Chewbacca. **You shouldn't have come.

_Luke and Leia watch as Han's and their past selves enter Chewbacca's house._

**Luke. **This is the weirdest thing we've ever done.

_Luke and Leia move closer to Boga._

Now?

**Leia. **No. The NRMOC has to see Boga before we steal her. Otherwise, they'll think Chewie set her free.

**Luke. **That is going to give us about sixty seconds. This is starting to seem impossible.

_In the treehouse, Chewbacca drops a milk jug._

**Leia. **In a few moments now, I'm going to find Viceroy.

**Organa. **_[off stage] _Han. It's Viceroy.

**Luke.** _[rising] _That's Gunray . . .

**Leia. **Luke. You can't.

**Luke. **Leia. That's the being who betrayed my parents. You can't expect me to just stand here.

**Leia. **Yes, Luke. You _must_. Luke, you're in Chewie's house right now. If you go bursting in, you'll think you have gone thermal. Awful things have happened to being who have meddled with time. We must not be seen.

_Enter Yoda, Valorum, Ranulph Tarkin, and Savage Opress._

We're coming out the back door.

_Chewbacca, Han, and their past selves reemerge from the house._

**Skywalker. **Chewie. We can't . . .

**Solo. **We'll tell them what really happened . . .

**Organa. **They can't kill her . . .

**Chewbacca. **Go! It's bad enough without you lot in trouble and all.

_The past versions of Luke, Han, and Leia throw the cloaking device over themselves and step away from the house, toward the Temple._

_The NRMOC party knock on Chewbacca's door._

_Chewbacca returns to the house._

**Opress.** _[off stage] _Where is the beast?

**Chewbacca. **_[off stage] _Out . . . outside.

_Luke and Leia move out of sight, as Opress looks out the window._

**Valorum.** _[off stage] _We, er, have to read you the official notice of execution, Chewbacca. I'll make it quick. And then you and Opress need to sign it. Opress, you're supposed to listen, too. That's procedure.

_Opress turns away from the window._

**Luke. **Wait here. I'll do it.

_Luke approaches Boga in the pumpkin patch._

**Valorum. **_[off stage] _It is the decision of the New Republic Military Oversight Committee that the varactyl known as Boga, hereafter called the condemned, shall be executed on the sixth of June at sundown . . .

_Luke looks into Boga's eyes and bows._

_Boga bows and stands._

_Luke unties Boga._

. . . sentenced to execution by decapitation, to be carried out by the NRMOC's appointed executioner, Savage Opress . . .

**Luke. **Come on, Boga. We're here to help you. Come on . . . quickly.

**Valorum. **_[off stage] _. . . as witnesses below. Chewie, you sign here.

**Yoda. **_[off stage] _I really think the Chancellor might find it in his heart to have a change of heart.

**Valorum. **_[off stage] _The decision has been made, Yoda. There is nothing you nor I can do.

**Luke. **Come on, Boga. Move!

_Luke wraps a rope around Boga's neck, like a leash, and pulls her toward Endor._

**Tarkin. **_[off stage] _Well, let us get this over with. Chewbacca, perhaps it will be better if you stay inside.

**Chewbacca. **_[off stage] _No. I . . . I want to be with her. I don't want her to be alone.

**Tarkin. **_[off stage] _Very well, gentlebeings. Shall we step outside?

**Yoda. **_[off stage] _One moment please, Opress. You need the sign, too.

_Boga hurries into the Endor forest, led by Luke._

_Luke, Leia, and Boga hide amongst the trees away from Chewbacca's house._

_Yoda, Valorum, Chewbacca, Tarkin, and Opress exit Chewbacca's house._

_Yoda stalls, giving Luke and Leia time to harry Boga away._

Here we are, Chancellor. Follow me. Now look there. See?

**Valorum**. Where?

**Yoda. **Look behind the rocks.

**Valorum. **What am I supposed to see?

**Yoda. **Master Coven had that bush planted when she was Grand Master.

**Valorum. **Oh, yes. Indeed, indeed.

**Yoda. **And all of the vineberries, you see.

**Valorum. **Vineberries? I see no vineberries.

**Yoda. **Over there.

**Valorum. **Where?

**Yoda. **Over there. Look.

**Tarkin. **Well, let us get this over with, please.

**Yoda. **All right.

_Luke, Leia, and Boga hide deep in the forest._

**Tarkin. **Where is the beast?

**Opress. **I saw the beast just now, not a moment ago.

**Yoda. **How extraordinary.

**Chewbacca. **Boga.

**Opress. **Well, come now, Yoda. Someone has obviously released him. Chewbacca?

**Chewbacca. **Master. I didn't . . .

**Yoda. **I don't think the executioner is suggesting you had anything to do with it, Chewbacca. After all, how could you? You have been with us all this time.

**Opress. **Well, we must search the grounds. . . .

**Yoda. **Search the skies if you must, Opress. Meanwhile, I would like a nice cup of tea or a large brandy. Oh, Opress, your services are no longer required. Thank you.

_Yoda and Chewbacca step into the treehouse._

**Chewbacca. **You will find no small glasses in this house, Master.

_In a rage, Opress slashes a pumpkin in two with his vibro-ax._

_Exit all but Luke, Leia, and Boga._

**Luke. **This way, now.

_Luke, Leia, and Boga move to the edge of the forest, watching the Baforr._

**Luke. **Now what?

**Leia. **We save Obi-Wan.

**Luke. **How?

**Leia. **No idea.

_Enter Han, with Gunray in his grasp._

**Luke. **There's Han.

**Solo. **Get away from him. Get away, you stupid cat.

_Enter Kenobi, in vornskr form._

**Luke. **There's Obi-Wan.

_Kenobi leaps over Luke's past self and grabs Han._

It looks worse from here.

_Exit Han and Kenobi._

_Enter Skywalker and Organa, Luke and Leia from hours ago._

O! I just got walloped by the tree. And so did you. This is weird.

_The Baforr freezes._

**Leia. **That was Anji's pressing the knot.

**Luke. **And there we are.

_Exit Skywalker, Organa, and Anji._

We're in.

_Enter Yoda, Valorum, Tarkin, and Opress._

**Leia. **Right after we had gone down the passage. If only Yoda had come with us . . .

**Luke. **Valorum and Opress would have come, too. I bet you anything Valorum would have told Opress to murder Obi-Wan on the spot.

_Enter Qui-Gon._

Look. It's Jinn.

_Qui-Gon presses the knot with a long stick._

_Exit Qui-Gon._

If he had only grabbed the cloaking device . . . _[turns to Leia] _If I just dashed out now and grabbed it, Vader would never be able to get it, and . . .

**Leia. **Luke. We must not be seen.

**Luke. **How can you stand this, just standing here and watching it happen? I'm going to grab the cloak.

_Luke starts to move, but Leia pulls his back._

**Leia. **Luke, no!

_Enter Chewbacca, whistling._

See? See what would have happened? We have got to keep out of sight.

_Boga begins move toward Chewbacca._

No, Boga!

_Luke and Leia pull Boga back by his "leash."_

_Exit Chewbacca._

_Enter Vader, who grabs the cloaking device._

**Luke. **Get your filthy hands off of it.

**Leia. **Shh!

_Vader uses Qui-Gon's stick to freeze the Baforr._

_Exit Vader._

**Luke. **And now we wait.

**Leia. **And now we wait.

**Luke. **Leia.

**Leia. **Yeah?

**Luke. **Before, down by the ocean, when we were with Obi-Wan, I _did _see someone. That being made the Tuskens go away . . .

**Leia. **With an Aura. I heard Vader's telling Valorum. According to him, only one really powerful in the Force could have conjured it.

**Luke. **It was my father.

**Leia. **What?

**Luke. **My father made the Tuskens go away.

**Leia. **Luke. Your father is . . .

**Luke. **Dead. I know. I'm just telling you what I saw.

_Leia stares at Luke in alarm._

I know it sounds crazy. _[aside] _Sivrak, Viceroy, Ben, and Tan, my father and his friends . . . Have all four of them been out on the grounds tonight? Viceroy reappeared this evening when everyone thought he was dead. Is it so impossible my father did the same? Was I seeing things across the ocean? The figure was too far away to see distinctly. Yet I'd felt sure . . .

_Enter Anji; Han and Qui-Gon, cuffed to Gunray; Kenobi, levitating Vader; Luke; and Leia._

**Leia. **Here we come.

_Luke and Leia stand; Boga rises her head._

_Luke watches the moon._

Luke. We have got to stay put. We must not be seen. There is nothing we can do.

**Luke. **So we are just going to let Gunray escape again.

**Leia. **How do you expect to find a womp rat in the dark? There is nothing we can do. We are here to help Obi-Wan. We are not supposed to be doing anything else.

**Luke. **All right.

**Leia. **There goes Jinn. He's transforming.

**Luke. **Leia. We have got to move.

**Leia. **We can't. I keep telling you . . .

**Luke. **Not to interfere. Sivrak is going to run into the forest, right toward us.

**Leia. **_[gasps] _Quick!

_Leia unties Boga._

Quick! Where are we going to go? Where are we going to hide? The Tuskens will be coming any moment.

**Luke. **Back to Chewie's. It's empty now. Come on.

_Luke, Leia, and Boga step inside Chewbacca's wroshyr treehouse._

_Enter Drang._

**Drang. **_[barks]_

**Leia. **Shh! Drang. It's us. _[to Luke] _That was really close.

**Luke. **Yeah . . . I think I had better go outside again, you know. I can't see what is going on. We won't know when it is time . . .

_Leia stares at Luke suspiciously._

I'm not going to try and interfere. But if we don't see what is going on, how are we going to know when it is time to rescue Obi-Wan?

**Leia. **Well, okay, then. I'll wait here with Boga. But Luke, be careful. There is a wolfman out there . . . and the Tuskens.

_Exit all but Luke._

_Luke hides near the Dac Ocean._

_Enter Tuskens, headed toward Skywalker, Organa, and Kenobi on the other side of the ocean._

_Luke watches his own feeble attempts at an Aura._

**Luke. **Come on. Come on, Father. Where are you?

_The Tuskens zero in on Luke, but no one comes._

_Realization dawning on him, Luke steps forward._

_Tutaminis_!

_Enter Luke's Aura, a silvery krayt dragon who charges down the Tuskens._

_Exit Tuskens, scurrying away._

_The Aura returns to Luke._

Tan.

_Enter Leia and Boga._

**Leia. **What did you do? You said you were only going to keep lookout.

**Luke. **I just saved our lives. Get behind this bush. I'll explain.

_Luke, Leia, and Boga hide behind the bushes._

You were right, Leia. It wasn't my father I saw earlier. It was me. I saw myself conjuring the Aura before.

**Leia. **Did anyone see you?

**Luke. **Yes. Haven't you been listening? I saw me, but I thought I was my father. It's okay.

**Leia. **Luke. I can't believe it. You conjured an Aura that drove away all of those Tuskens. That's a highly advanced Force ability.

**Luke. **I knew I could do it this time, because I've already done it. Does that make sense?

**Leia. **I don't know. Look at Vader.

_Enter Vader, regaining consciousness._

_Vader conjures medical capsules for Skywalker, Solo, Organa, and Kenobi._

_Vader wheels them into the Temple._

Right. It's nearly time. We have got about forty-five minutes until Yoda locks the door to the medcenter. We have got to rescue Obi-Wan and get back to the medical facility before anyone realizes we are gone.

_Luke and Leia wait with Boga._

**Luke. **Do you reckon he is up there yet?

**Leia. **Look! Who is that? Someone is coming back out of the Temple.

_Enter Savage Opress, his vibro-ax glinting at his belt._

**Luke. **Savage Opress, the executioner. He has gone to get the Tuskens. It's time.

_Luke and Leia mount Boga._

Ready? You had better hold onto me.

_Boga begins moving, running and leaping toward the Detention Center._

**Leia. **Oh, no. I don't like this. I don't like this at all.

**Luke. **Whoa!

_Boga lands in the Jedi Temple Detention Center, in front of Kenobi's cell._

_Enter Kenobi._

_Leia removes her lightsaber._

**Leia. **Stand back. Ionize.

_The cell door unlocks._

**Kenobi. **How . . . how . . . ?

**Luke. **Get on. There is not much time. You have got to get out of here. Opress has gone to get the Tuskens.

_Kenobi mounts Boga._

Okay, Boga, up, up to the spire! Come on.

_Boga leaps up near a tall Temple spire._

_Luke and Leia dismount Boga._

**Kenobi. **What happened to the other boy? Han?

**Luke. **He's going to be okay. He's still out of it. But Master Che says she will be able to make him better.

**Kenobi. **I'll be forever grateful to both of you.

**Luke. **I want to go with you.

**Kenobi. **One day, perhaps. For some time, my life will be too unpredictable. And besides, you're meant to be here.

**Luke. **But you're innocent.

**Kenobi. **And you know it. And for now that will do.

_Kenobi prepares Boga for the takeoff._

I expect you are tired of hearing this, but you look so much like your father, except your eyes. You have . . .

**Luke. **My mother's eyes.

**Kenobi. **It's cruel that I got to spend so much time with Anakin and Padmé, and you so little. But know this, the ones that love us never really leave us, and you can always find them . . . _[touches Luke's chest]_ . . . in here. _[to Leia] _You really are the brightest being of your age.

_Boga leaps away from the Temple._

We'll see each other again. You are truly your father's son, Luke.

_Exit Kenobi and Boga._

_Exit all._


	65. Vader's Severe Disappointment

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and Leia._

**Leia. **Luke. We have got exactly ten minutes to get back to the medcenter without anyone's seeing us, before Yoda locks the door.

**Luke. **Okay. Let's okay.

_Luke and Leia sneak into the Jedi Temple, hiding out of sight._

_Enter Vader and Valorum._

**Vader. **I only hope Yoda is not going to make any difficulties. The Force Drain will be performed immediately?

**Valorum. **As soon as Opress returns with the Tuskens. The whole Kenobi affair has been highly embarrassing. I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to informing the HoloNet that we have got him at last. I daresay they will want to interview you, Vader. And once young Luke is back in his right mind, I expect he will want to tell the HoloNet exactly how you saved him.

_Exit Vader and Valorum._

_Enter PROXY, cackling._

_Luke and Leia dive into a deserted classroom._

**Leia. **Oh, he's horrible. I bet he is all excited because the Tuskens are going to finish Obi-Wan off.

_Exit PROXY._

_[checks chrono] _Three minutes, Luke.

_Luke and Leia leave the room and run for the medcenter._

**Luke. **Leia. What will happen if we don't get back to the medcenter before Yoda locks the door?

**Leia. **I don't even want to think about it, Luke. _[checks chrono] _One minute!

_Luke and Leia reach the medcenter._

_Enter Yoda._

**Yoda. **_[to Skywalker and Organa in the past] _I find retracing my steps to be a wise place to begin. May the Force be with you.

_Yoda locks the door and turns._

_[smiles] _Well?

**Luke. **We did it. Obi-Wan has gone, on Boga. . . .

**Yoda. **Well done. I think . . . _[listens] _Yes, I think you've gone, too. Get inside. I'll lock you in.

_Luke and Leia slip inside the medcenter._

_Yoda locks the door._

_Exit Yoda._

_Luke and Leia return to their beds._

_Leia tucks the Orb of Passage beneath her robes._

_Enter Vokara Che._

**Che. **Did I hear the Master's leaving? Am I allowed to look after my patients now?

_Luke and Leia consume Che's chocolate without complaint._

**Vader. **_[off stage, furious] _Aaaaarrrghhh!

**Che. **What was that?

_Vader's cry is followed by angry voices._

Really! They will wake everybody up. What do they think they are doing?

**Valorum. **_[off stage] _He must have Force Traveled, Darth. We should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out . . .

**Vader. **_[off stage] _He didn't Force Travel! You can't Force Travel within this Temple! This has something to do with Skywalker!

**Yoda.** _[off stage] _Darth. Be reasonable. Luke has been locked up . . .

_Enter Valorum, Vader, and Yoda._

**Vader. **Out with it, Skywalker! What did you do?

**Che. **Lord Vader. Control yourself.

**Valorum. **See here, Vader, be reasonable. This door has been locked up. We just saw . . .

**Vader. **They helped him escape! I know it!

**Valorum. **Calm down, man. You're talking nonsense.

**Vader. **You don't know Skywalker! He did it! I know he did it!

**Yoda. **That will do, Darth. Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the facility ten minutes ago. Master Che, have these students left their beds?

**Che. **Of course not. I would have heard them.

**Yoda. **Well, there you have it, Darth. Unless you are suggesting that Luke and Leia are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further.

_Vader glares at Yoda and Valorum._

_Exit Vader._

**Valorum. **The fellow seems quite unbalanced. I would watch out for him if I were you, Yoda.

**Yoda. **Oh, he's not unbalanced. He has just suffered a severe disappointment.

**Valorum. **He is not the only one. The HoloNet is going to have a field day. We had Kenobi cornered, and he slipped through our fingers again. All it needs now is the story of the varactyl's escape to get out, and I'll be a laughingstock. Well, I'd better go and inform the Republic.

**Yoda. **And the Tuskens? They will be removed from the Temple, I trust?

**Valorum. **Oh, yes. They will have to go. I would have never have dreamed that they would try to administer the Force Drain on an innocent civilian. Completely out of control. No, I'll have them shipped off to Kessel tonight. Perhaps we should think about rancors at the Temple entrances.

**Yoda. **Chewbacca would like that.

_Exit Yoda and Valorum._

_Exit Che, returning to the Halls of Healing._

_Enter Han, waking up._

**Han. **What . . . what happened? Luke? Why are we here? Where's Obi-Wan? Where's Jinn? What's going on?

_Luke and Leia exchange looks._

**Luke. **_[to Leia] _You explain.

_Exit all._


	66. Life Debts

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia._

_Enter Chewbacca._

**Chewbacca. **I know I shouldn't feel happy after what just happened, Kenobi's escaping again and everything, but . . .

**All. **What?

**Chewbacca. **Boga. She escaped. She's free. I've been celebrating all night.

**Leia. **That's wonderful.

**Chewbacca. **Yeah. I can't have tied her up properly. I was worried this morning, mind. I thought she might have met Lak Sivrak on the grounds, but Master Jinn says he never ate anything last night.

**Luke. **What?

**Chewbacca. **By the Force, haven't you heard? Er, Vader told all of the Kuns this morning. I thought everyone knew by now. Master Jinn is a Shistavanen, see. And he was loose on the grounds last night. He's packing now, of course.

**Luke. **He's packing. Why?

**Chewbacca. **Leaving, isn't he? He resigned first thing this morning, says he can't risk its happening again.

**Luke. **I going to go and see him.

**Han. **But if he has resigned . . .

**Leia. **There doesn't sound like there is anything we can do.

**Luke. **I don't care. I still want to see him. I'll meet you back here.

_Exit all but Luke._

_Luke enters Qui-Gon Jinn's classroom._

_Enter Qui-Gon._

**Qui-Gon. **Hello, Luke. I saw your coming. _[indicates Star Map] _I've looked worse believe me.

**Luke. **I've just seen Chewie. He said you've resigned. It's not true, is it?

**Qui-Gon. **I'm afraid it is.

**Luke. **Why? The Galactic Republic doesn't think you have been helping Obi-Wan, do they?

**Qui-Gon. **No. Master Yoda managed to convince Valorum that I was trying to save your lives. That was the final straw for Darth. I think the loss of the Order of Revan hit him hard. So he, er, accidentally let it slip that I am a Shistavanen at breakfast.

**Luke. **You're not leaving just because of that.

**Qui-Gon. **This time tomorrow, the droids will start arriving, and parents will not want a . . . ah, someone like me teaching their children.

**Luke. **But Yoda . . .

**Qui-Gon. **Yoda has already risked enough on my behalf. Besides, beings like me are . . . well, let's just say, I am used to it by now.

**Luke. **But you're the best Defense Against the Dark Side instructor we have ever had. Don't go.

_Qui-Gon shakes his head._

_Qui-Gon continues to pack._

**Qui-Gon. **From what the Master told me this morning, you saved a lot of lives last night, Luke. If I am proud of anything, it is of how much you have learned this year. Tell me about your Aura.

**Luke. **How did you hear about that?

**Qui-Gon. **What else could have driven the Tuskens back?

**Luke. **_[explains his Aura, the krayt dragon]_

**Qui-Gon. **Yes. Your father was always a krayt when he transformed. You guesses right. That was why we called him Tan.

_Qui-Gon retrieves the cloaking device._

Here. I brought this from the Valley of the Jedi last night.

_Qui-Gon picks up the Star Map._

Now, as I am no longer your Master, I feel no guilt whatsoever in giving this back to you. It's no use to me, and I daresay you, Han, and Leia will find some uses for it.

**Luke. **_[grinning] _You told me Sivrak, Viceroy, Ben, and Tan would have wanted to lure me out of the Temple. You said they would have thought it was funny.

**Qui-Gon. **And indeed, we would have. I have no hesitation in saying that Anakin would have been highly disappointed if his son had never found any of the secret passages out of the Temple. So now, I'll say good-bye, Luke. I feel sure we will meet again sometime. Until then, mischief managed.

_Enter Yoda._

**Yoda. **Your speeder is at the gates, Qui-Gon.

**Qui-Gon. **Thank you, Master. There is no need to meet me at the gates. I can manage.

**Yoda. **Good-bye, then, Qui-Gon.

_Qui-Gon takes his things and shakes Yoda's hand._

_Exit Qui-Gon._

Why do you look so miserable, Luke?

**Luke. **None of it made any difference. Gunray escaped.

**Yoda. **Didn't make a difference? Luke, it made all the difference in the galaxy. You helped uncover the truth. You saved an innocent being from a terrible fate. It made a great deal of difference.

**Luke. **Master Yoda. Yesterday, when I was having my Divination exam, Master Shryne went very . . . very strange.

**Yoda. **Indeed? Stranger than usual, you mean?

**Luke. **Yes. Her voice went all deep and her eyes rolled and she said . . . she said Sidious's servant was going to set out to return to him before midnight. She said the servant would help him come back to power. And then she sort of became normal again, and she couldn't remember anything she'd said. Was it . . . was she making a real prediction?

**Yoda. **Do you know, Luke, I think she might have been. Who would have thought it? That brings her total of real predictions up to two. I should offer her a pay raise.

**Luke. **But . . . but I stopped Obi-Wan and Master Jinn from killing Gunray. That makes it my fault if Sidious comes back.

**Yoda. **It does not. Hasn't your experience with the Orb of Passage taught you anything, Luke? The consequences of our actions are always so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult business indeed. Master Shryne, bless him, is living proof of that. You did a very noble thing in saving Gunray's life.

**Luke. **But if he helps Sidious back to power . . .

**Yoda. **Gunray owes his life to you. You have sent Sidious a deputy who is in your debt. When one being saves another being's life, it creates a certain bond between them. And I am much mistaken if Sidious wants a servant in the debt of Luke Skywalker.

**Luke. **I don't want a connection with Gunray. He betrayed my parents.

**Yoda. **This is in the deepest, most impenetrable depths of the Force. But trust me, the time may come when you will be very glad you saved Nute Gunray's life. I knew your father very well, at the Jedi Temple and later, Luke. He would have saved Gunray, too. I am sure of it.

**Luke. **I thought it was my father who conjured my Aura. I mean, when I saw myself across the ocean, I thought I was seeing him.

**Yoda. **An easy mistake to make. I expect you will tire of hearing this, but you do extraordinarily like Anakin, except for the eyes. You have your mother's eyes.

**Luke. **It was stupid, thinking it was him. I mean, I knew he was dead.

**Yoda. **Do you think the dead we loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don't recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble? Your father is alive in you, Luke. And shows himself most plainly when you have need of him. How else could you produce that particular Aura? Tan rode again last night. _[at Luke's expression] _Last night Obi-Wan told me all about how they became Shi'ido. An extraordinary achievement . . . not least, keeping it quiet from me. And then I remembered the most unusual form your Aura took, when charged Master Marek down at your Smashball match against Shan. You know, Luke, in a way, you did see your father last night. You found him inside yourself.

_Exit all._


	67. Droid Post Again

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Han, and Leia._

**Luke. **_[aside] _No Jedi but us and Master Yoda know the truth of what happened the night Obi-Wan, Boga, and Gunray escaped. As the end of term approaches, I hear several different theories, none of them anywhere close to the truth. Marek is furious about Boga, convinced that Chewie found away to smuggle the varactyl out of the Temple, and seems outraged that his father was outwitted by a gamekeeper.

_Enter Threepio and Tece Fortine._

**Threepio. **_[to Tece] _If I manage to get into the Republic, I'll have a lot of proposals to make about the Coruscant Security Force.

_Exit Threepio and Tece._

**Luke. **_[aside] _I'm certainly not the only one sorry to see Master Jinn go. Our whole Defense Against the Dark Side class is dismayed by his resignation.

_Enter Lando and Nien Nunb._

**Nien. **I wonder what they will give us next year?

**Lando. **Maybe an Anzat.

_All Jedi students board the Jedi Cruiser._

_Exit all but Luke, Han, and Leia._

**Leia. **I went to see Senator Mothma just before breakfast. I've decided to drop Mundane Studies.

**Han. **But you passed your exam with three hundred twenty percent.

**Leia. **I know. But I can't stand another year like this one. That Orb of Passage . . . it was driving me space-happy. Without Mundane Studies and Divination, I'll be able to have a normal timetable again.

**Han. **I still can't believe you didn't tell us about it. We're supposed to be your friends.

**Leia. **I promised I wouldn't tell anyone.

_The Jedi Cruiser pulls away from Docking Bay 327._

Oh, cheer up, Luke.

**Luke. **I'm okay. I'm just thinking about the holidays.

**Han. **Yeah. I've been thinking about them, too. Luke, you've got to come and stay with us. I'll fix it up with Mom and Dad, then I'll call you. I know how to use a lomcink now . . .

**Leia. **A comlink, Han. Honestly, maybe you should take Mundane Studies next year.

**Han. **_[ignoring Leia] _It's the Smashball Galactic Cup this summer. How about it, Luke? Come and stay, and we'll go and see it. Dad can usually get tickets from work.

**Luke. **Yeah. I bet the Larses would be pleased to let me come, especially after what happened to Aunt Dama.

_Luke, Han, and Leia play sabacc._

_Enter Whistler, an emerald astromech droid, delivering a message from Obi-Wan Kenobi._

_Luke opens the viewport and lets Whistler in._

_Enter Anji, who eyes Whistler._

_Han pulls Whistler out of harm's way._

It's from Obi-Wan.

_Enter Kenobi, a holographic image of the auburn-haired former Jedi._

**Kenobi. **Luke. I hope this finds you before you reach your aunt and uncle. I don't know whether they're used to droid post. Boga and I are in hiding. I won't tell you where, in case this droid falls into the wrong hands. I have some doubts about his credibility. But he was the best I could find, and he did seem eager for the job. I believe the Tuskens are still searching for me. But they haven't got a hope of finding me here. I am planning to allow some mundanes to glimpse me soon, a long way from Tython, so the security on the Temple will be lifted. There is something I never got around to telling you during our brief meeting. It was I who sent you the A-wing.

**Leia. **Ha! See? I told you it was him.

**Han. **Yes. But he hadn't cursed it, had he?

**Kenobi. **Anji took the order to the Intergalactic Communications Center for me. I used your name but told them to take the credits from my own Muunilinst vault. Please consider it as twelve years' worth of presents from your godfather. I would also like to apologize for the fright I gave you that night last year when you left your uncle's homestead. I had only hoped to get a glimpse of you before starting my journey Coreward. But I think the sight of me alarmed you. I am enclosing something else for you, which I think will make your next year at the Jedi Temple more enjoyable. If ever you need me, send word. Your droid will find me. I'll write again soon. Kenobi out.

_Luke picks up a piece of flimsi._

**Luke. **_[reading] _"I, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker's godfather, hereby give him permission to enter CoCo Town on weekends." That will be good enough for Yoda. Hang on. There's a P.S.

**Kenobi. **P.S. I thought your friend Han might like to keep this droid, as it is my fault he no longer has a womp rat.

_Exit Kenobi._

**Han. **Keep him? _[to Anji] _What do you reckon? Definitely a droid?

**Anji. **_[purrs]_

**Han. **That's good enough for me. He's mine.

_The Jedi Cruiser stops at Docking Bay 94._

_All Jedi students return to Mos Eisley Spaceport._

I'll comm about the Galactic Cup.

_Exit all but Luke._

_Enter Owen Lars._

**Owen. **_[indicates Kenobi's hololetter] _What's that? If it's another form for me to sign, you've got another thing . . .

**Luke. **It's not. It's a hololetter from my godfather.

**Owen. **Godfather? You haven't got a godfather.

**Luke. **Yes, I have. He was Father's best friend. He's a convicted murderer. But he's broken out of a Republic prison world, and he's on the run. He likes to keep in touch with me, though, to check if I'm happy. . . .

_Owen's expression turns fearful._

_Exit all._


End file.
